Popular Main Street restaurant will now require COVID vaccines for indoor seating

Lula Drake, a popular wine parlor on Main Street, announced on its Instagram account that all of its indoor seating will be reserved for vaccinated guests.

The announcement came on July 29. This is the same day South Carolina recorded its highest number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases since February and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control announced it “strongly recommends” students and teachers wear masks for the upcoming school year.

Lula Drake is not the only restaurant in Columbia to recently announce the re-implementation of COVID protocols. Mr. Friendly’s, a popular restaurant in Five Points, announced the return of COVID precautions and regulations in its dining room on July 28.

Lula Drake recently reopened from a 16-month-long closure caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to the restaurant’s Instagram.

The food and dining industry has been particularly affected by COVID-19. Additionally, data from the U.S. Small Business Administration shows that only one-third of restaurants that applied for federal assistance through the Restaurant Revitalization Fund actually received financial support.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Richland Country currently has “high” rates of COVID-19 transmission, meaning the county has seen more than 100 cases per 100,000 people over the last seven days.

This story was originally published July 30, 2021 at 10:14 AM.