New York Hotel Workers Seek COVID-19 Vaccine

The hotel industry is urging NY State to designate its staffers as crucial front-line workers so they can be vaccinated against COVID-19. More than 400 members of the Hotel Trades Council died after getting infected with COVID-19, with many employees contracting the virus on the job.

“Hotel workers are essential workers who have been working on the frontlines throughout this pandemic. They’ve been serving high-risk populations like quarantining travelers and COVID-exposed and other high-risk populations,” said Hotel Trades Council President Rich Maroko. “Over 400 of them have died and thousands more have been sickened, including dozens who have been sickened in just the past few weeks of this year. Hotel workers deserve to be protected as they continue to perform their essential functions.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week updated its vaccine guidance to add workers of “Traveler Accommodation” for Phase 1C eligibility, and hotel industry insiders note that 80 percent Hotel Trades Council workers are people of color who are deemed at a higher risk to catching COVID-19. Read more here.