Maui Restaurant says compulsory vaccination puts small businesses in a highly polarized debate

Moku Roots in Lahaina is one of several companies to announce on social media that they are changing operations to stay open and meet county vaccination records. But they also expressed their opposition to the district’s order.

“Shall we hire a doorman like the one at the door to check people’s vaccination records?” said Alexa Caskey, co-owner of Moku Roots. “It’s just a piece of paper, how should I know if it’s fake or real?

Maui County’s Safer Outside program went into effect on September 15. Like Oahu‘s Safe Access program, restaurants, bars, and gyms are required to provide proof of vaccination for customers who dine indoors or use the facilities.

But unlike Honolulu, Maui’s program has no provision for a negative COVID test result. Instead, those who are not vaccinated can either dine out or take away.

To comply with county rules, Moku Roots does not allow customers to dine indoors.

“It didn’t feel right to me to separate different people based on their medical history,” said Caskey. “And we were really lucky to have so much outdoor seating because we were just assuming that we weren’t going to bother with it.”

Caskey says she believes Maui’s evidence of the vaccination program came from policymakers being too quick to give vaccinated travelers an exemption – which she believes could have spurred an increase in COVID cases and hospital stays.

She notes that the pre-tests appear to have protected a large part of the residents and visitors while allowing tourism to return.

But at the end of the day, she says, it seems that the job of small businesses is to correct the missteps of government leaders.

“I think the Safer Outside policy is just a kind of diversion from what really should be done to really protect everyone,” she said. “I don’t think it’s going to be an effective policy. I think it’s an unnecessary burden on businesses. I’m in favor of protecting everyone, so I’ve been talking pretty loud about why I think we should have just re-implemented . ” the pre-examination guideline for all. “

But her restaurant’s politics have caught the attention of the wider community. She says she got mostly positive feedback from people, but it also got negative attention.

“Because of the stance we have taken, it does not in any way mean that we are against Vax,” she said.

“I’m vaccinated, most of the people who work here are vaccinated. The negative responses were just, ‘Stop pushing your anti-Vax agenda!’ I am not an anti-vax. That’s even what I’m saying. What I’m saying is I don’t think that’s the solution, “she told Hawaii Public Radio.

Caskey also believes that the county’s politics are plunging small local businesses into a highly polarized debate.

“It just puts companies in a really impossible situation because it’s so polarizing,” she said. “People are no longer, ‘Hey, I believe in it and you believe in it, that’s cool, let’s still be friends.’ For the past couple of years it has been, ‘Oh, you believe in it, well, you’re not my boyfriend anymore. “

According to Caskey, Moku Roots will continue to follow the county guidelines but will adapt to better include all customers.