If you choose to go unvaccinated, should SLO County businesses choose not to serve you?

Well, that was a short respite.

For a month or so, things seemed almost normal again, especially for the fully vaccinated.

We could go to movies and concerts and not worry about social distancing.

We could make plans to go on long-delayed vacations to “safe” locations — some of which are now, once again, off-limits.

Most of all, we were able to take a break from worrying that we were threatening our health — and the health of family and friends — if we took even minor risks.

It was a welcome relief, but those days are disappearing now that COVID-19 cases are on the rise again.

If it keeps up, what’s next?

Another mask mandate?

No more indoor dining at restaurants?

Another ban on nonessential travel?

It doesn’t have to be that way. Vaccines provide excellent protection, even against the highly transmissible Delta variant.

Yet here in San Luis Obispo County, close to 35% of residents over 12 have not been vaccinated. They aren’t just putting themselves at risk, they’re placing others in jeopardy as well, and they’re threatening to derail an economy just as it’s beginning to recover.

The vaxxed population is running out of patience.

It’s obvious the path we’ve been taking — relying on incentives, rather than sanctions — isn’t working.

Some areas are taking a new tack.

In one of the most surprising developments, some businesses are denying service to unvaccinated customers.

It’s happening mostly in the hospitality industry; there are now lists of bars and restaurants in places like Los Angeles and the Bay Area that require customers to show proof of vaccination in order to enter.

We don’t know of any businesses doing so in our area, but we fully support the idea.

It will almost certainly invite the wrath of the anti-vaxxer bullies who have been whining about vaccine “passports,” even as the death toll continues to rise. But we suspect a large number of people would welcome the opportunity to enjoy a night out without worrying about whether they’ll bump into someone who hasn’t been vaxxed.

There have been other, more comprehensive strategies as well.

A growing number of employers, including the state of California, are requiring workers to either be vaccinated or regularly tested for COVID.

And this week it was announced that Cal Poly and other CSU campuses will require students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated if they plan to be on campus this fall.

That all makes sense. If we can require elementary and middle school kids to be vaccinated for diseases like rubella, tetanus and diphtheria, of course we should require college students to be vaccinated for COVID.

We don’t advocate forcing anyone to take the vaccine, but we’ve also had it with willful ignorance layered on science denial layered on disingenuous political posturing.

Cal Poly Professor Candace Winstead, who specializes in medical microbiology, immunology and hematology, summarized the issue succinctly in a recent Tribune Q&A.

“People don’t need to be worried about any of that,” she said of fears that the vaccines have not be sufficiently vetted.

“It’s probably the most heavily monitored health product ever.”

So to put it simply, the vast majority of us have no good reason not to get the shot.

The fact is, COVID-19 continues to threaten our health, our economy, and yes, our freedom to do what we want and go where we please.

If individuals are willing to put their personal beliefs above the collective well-being of the entire nation by continuing to reject the vaccine, they should be prepared to face the consequences.

And if they do get an ultimatum from an employer or are denied access to a restaurant or a special event, they shouldn’t come crying to us.

In a matter of minutes, for free, all around the county, each one of us has the power to help stop this pandemic. Just do it.