- Gregory B. Perleberg, Esq.
Countdown to June 15, 2021: Unvaccinated Zones
The world has rapidly changed again with the free availability of the Covid-19 Vaccine. You can now walk into a Walgreens and get your vaccine treatment, for free. This is to the great relief of many people. It is a miracle really, considering most vaccines take five to fourteen years to develop. But the first people started receiving the vaccine in December of 2020, just eight months after the start of the pandemic.
However, this brings with it new challenges. Many businesses and public venues are segregating people based on their vaccination status. For instance, the Hollywood Bowl, the famous concert venue in Los Angeles, has started a segregated section for non-vaccinated people who want to attend their first concerts in over a year.
And, the Hollywood Bowl is not the only public venue that is taking this action. Many Major League Baseball stadiums are doing the same thing. And, one concert venue in Florida is go so far as to charge $1000 for someone unvaccinated and only $18 for someone who is vaccinated.
“One Florida concert promoter thinks he has a workaround: offer $18 tickets to anyone who is vaccinated and charge $999.99 for everyone else. “I’m not denying entry to anyone,” said Paul Williams. “I’m just offering a discount.”
The governor’s office says the unorthodox pricing violates Florida’s rules: “Charging higher ticket prices for individuals who do not furnish proof of vaccination unfairly discriminates against people who have enumerated rights under Florida law,” said Christina Pushaw, press secretary for the governor’s office, in an email to The Washington Post.”
Challenges and confusion have come up at work regarding the vaccinated and unvaccinated too. Some workplaces have stated that to return to the office you must be vaccinated. But is this something an employer can mandate? In Houston 117 Healthcare workers sued Methodist Hospital over their vaccination rule.
“A Texas hospital is being sued by 117 employees who claim it is turning them into COVID-19 vaccine “guinea pigs” and breaking the law by requiring they get the shot, according to Saturday report. The plaintiffs filed suit against Houston Methodist Hospital Friday, the latest group of workers to challenge mandatory inoculations at essential workplaces, The Washington Post reported.”
Many of us have questions and concerns about this, not only about our personal health choices but also about what our rights are in the workplace and in public spaces. Some of these questions may have a legal component that may be difficult to navigate. If you have questions about your rights in the workplace feel free to reach out to us – we offer great experience in the areas of entertainment law, employment law, intellectual property and litigation.
Greg Perleberg
Co-Founder
Perleberg McClaren LLP
323-741-6500
Visit us at pmlegal.law