In a statement, manager Luca Guaitolini, who said he was not working Saturday night, said the restaurant believes in and enforces the vaccine mandate. He described the event in a statement as an “isolated incident — and unfortunate oversight.” He told The New York Times that Palin was dining with a regular patron and that although the restaurant checks first-time customers, it doesn’t check its regulars. He also told the Times that the restaurant was “trying to get to the bottom” of what happened.

But Elio’s should nevertheless be fined by the city for not enforcing the regulation and allowing the unvaccinated Palin to dine indoors. Doing so would send an important signal that no one is exempt from the rules — even if they are celebrities and have lots of Twitter followers. It’s a message many people in our society need to hear right now.

People like Palin are, by every definition, extremely influential. When they’re not required to follow the rules put in place to protect the public — like when they’re allowed to eat in a restaurant without producing a vaccine card — it sends an especially powerful signal to their followers that such behavior is OK.