Yahoo Finance Tourists Charged With Assaulting New York Restaurant Host Who Asked For Vaccine Proof
Three women from Texas were charged with assaulting a host at a New York City restaurant Thursday evening after she asked for proof of COVID vaccination, as the city now requires for indoor dining.
The 24-year-old host at Carmine’s, an Italian restaurant on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, was struck multiple times with closed fists, resulting in bruises and scratches on her face, chest, and arm, and a broken necklace, police said.
Cellphone video shows the tourists nearly knocking over the host stand as the worker tried to back away. The assailants responded by grabbing at her neck and chest, the video shows.
The women, aged 49, 44, and 21, all residents of the Houston area, were charged with assault and criminal mischief.
Carmine’s on the UWS says a hostess was assaulted after asking a group for proof of Covid vaccine to eat inside. “It’s a shocking and tragic situation when one of our valued employees is assaulted for doing their job - as required by city policies...” @NBCNewYork after football. pic.twitter.com/xrqZoNm74R
— Adam Harding (@HardingReports) September 17, 2021
New York City requires people dining indoors to show proof they’ve received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine. Enforcement began on Monday.
Carmine’s owner Jeff Banks told CBS New York the hostess is OK, but remains unsettled. He said he’s hired extra security for the restaurant entrance.
“This turned into a mess. And from there, it’s inexcusable, it’s ridiculous,” Banks said, noting that he has no problem with the vaccine mandate.
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer called the assault “completely unacceptable” on social media, adding: “There’s no place for this kind of violence to be perpetrated against our essential workers.”
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
