ATLANTA — Another Atlanta bar has implemented a vaccine requirement policy, this one just down the road from the first bar to publicly announce such a requirement.
Mary's in East Atlanta Village, which bills itself as "America's favorite gay bar," said on Instagram that it would be starting a policy of, "no vax, no entry."
"Please be prepared to show proof of vaccination upon entry. Bring your vax card or have a photo on your phone along with your ID," the post said.
On its website, the bar further explains the policy:
"Our policy is not a political statement. It’s just a reality that we cannot guarantee the safety of someone who is unvaccinated, nor the safety of those around them," the site states.
It comes amid a new surge in COVID-19 cases in Georgia and around the country, fueled by the more contagious Delta variant. The CDC said this week that the variant appears to be as contagious as chicken pox.
"While community transmission of the Delta variant is skyrocketing, we need to take this temporary measure to ensure on-going operations," the Mary's website states. "We are aware that this does not eliminate the risk to those who are vaccinated, but it is something we can do today to make things safer for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people."
The message does offer an olive branch to those who have remained unvaccinated, saying "we hope we will see you back when things are safer."
The bar also said that, in accordance with city COVID policies re-instituted by Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms this week, masks will be required by individuals who are not eating or drinking.
"So while you are inside the bar, you will need to have a drink in your hand or slip the mask back on until you get one," the website states.
Mary's follows on the lead of Argosy, the EAV gastropub that also announced on Instagram last week that it was establishing a "no vax, no service" policy.
Argosy said it was implementing the policy after a "few positive COVID cases."
In that instance, the establishment's owners told 11Alive they had received threats over the change. Perhaps anticipating something similar, the Mary's account turned off comments on its Instagram post announcing the new policy.