The Fishetarian Fish Market in Bodega Bay.
photo credit: Tessa Paoli

It's been a week since Governor Gavin Newsom signed the executive order allowing fully vaccinated employees to ditch their masks. But some businesses are still treading cautiously.

"I think it's ridiculous. We have been careful all this time, to suddenly drop the ball in the beginning of summer,"said Aline Unzelman, manager of Fishetarian. 

The Fishetarian is a seafood restaurant in Bodega Bay that attracts people from all over. Unzelman said over half the staff is vaccinated but all employees still wear their masks, and customers are asked to cover their faces too.

"I have no intention of dropping the ball and I'm fully vaccinated," Unzelman said.

And at The Tides Restaurant, a Bodega Bay destination that's been around for decades, manager Carlos Cairo said his staff is also still wearing masks, vaccinated or not.

"Of course as a manager I want everything back to normal but we understand it's not possible yet," Cairo said. "We have to wear masks and see how it goes."

Rob Olmstead, a sever and manager at Lucas Wharf bar and restaurant, also wears his mask at work, even though he's fully vaccinated.

"I would like to get rid of the mask as soon as possible," Olmstead said. "Because it's six hours with the mask on. I had a beard and shaved that because it's so hot and my glasses steam up. it's just a pain to have it."

But some restaurants in town are easing restrictions. Before last week, cook Sam Kane wore his mask in the kitchen at Gourmet Au Bay. But after being fully vaccinated, he's now able to take it off at work.

"It felt kind of liberating because we were unsure but when we heard we could take it off it was a joyous moment," Kane said.