Governor Roy Cooper visited a restaurant in Carrboro this week to promote COVID-19 vaccinations and encourage businesses to enact their own vaccine mandates.

On Thursday, Cooper stopped by Pizzeria Mercato for a news conference. Mercato was one of the first restaurants in the area to require proof of vaccination against the coronavirus for patrons to dine inside.

“When businesses and employers require vaccines, they are protecting their workers, customers and communities,” said Cooper at Thursday’s conference. “Policies like these will get more shots in arms that in turn will boost our economy and get us more quickly to the end of the pandemic.”

During his visit, Cooper thanked Pizzeria Mercato’s owner, Gabe Barker, and his employees for their work to help protect staff, patrons and the community.

At the event, Barker said the vaccine mandate has been good for business while keeping people safe. “Health and safety are my top priority,” he said.

Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle echoed Cooper’s sentiments and thanked Pizzeria Mercato’s leadership for making the decision to require proof of vaccination, especially given the spread of the more contagious delta variant.

On Thursday, the state reported more than 8,600 new COVID cases, the highest since mid-January.

“I’m really, really proud of the leadership there, of Gabe Barker, who made the decision early on to treat the pandemic very seriously,” Lavelle said. “It was kind of a courageous move because they are getting a lot of pushback on social media. So you are getting this group of antivaxxers who find this not appropriate but I know there are a lot of folks who appreciate it.”

Also attending the news conference was NC Representative Graig Meyer, NC Representative Verla Insko, NC Senator Valerie Foushee, Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger and Carrboro Town Manager Richard White III.

Vaccine mandates are becoming more common following the FDA’s full approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine Monday.

In Orange County, other businesses – such as Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, Market & Moss in Chapel Hill, and Yonder in Hillsborough – have already announced that patrons must show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test before entry.

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