According to SFGATE, Contra Costa County’s health department has penalized an In-N-Out Burger restaurant in Pleasant Hill this week for failing to screen its customers for proof of vaccination.
SFGATE reports the restaurant has been fined twice in the last two weeks totaling $750. It noted the health department said any subsequent fines will be $1,000, although it added that there were no plans to close the restaurant.
The restaurant chain has violated local ordinances at least twice, recently for failing to check proof of vaccination. The In-N-Out Burger at Fisherman’s Wharf was closed by the San Francisco Department of Public Health last week, following complaints for the same offense, according to multiple reports. The restaurant re-opened, but only for outdoor or take-out dining.
A representative for In-N-Out released a statement saying that the chain “refuses to become the vaccination police for any government." The spokesman added the county’s order was, “unreasonable, invasive, and unsafe.”
The company’s leadership has supported conservative political causes for years, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
San Francisco and Contra Costa County, as well as the City of Berkeley, currently have ordinances requiring the employees at restaurants that offer indoor dining to check the vaccination status of their customers.