Sarah Palin dined inside NYC restaurant on Saturday despite not being vaccinated

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) dined indoors at a popular Italian restaurant in Manhattan on Saturday, despite being unvaccinated - and just a two days before testing positive for COVID-19.

New York restaurant Elio's admitted it made a mistake in failing to check the vaccination card of the onetime vice presidential candidate, per city COVID-19 policies for indoor spaces.

"We just made a mistake," Luca Guaitolini, the manager of the Italian restaurant in Manhattan, told the The New York Times, adding it was "trying to get to the bottom of this."

He told the Times that Palin had dined with a longtime guest and that regular diners at the restaurant were not asked for their vaccination cards.

Guaitolini said the restaurant has a policy of checking vaccination cards for all first-time customers.

"She probably just walked in and strolled over" to the table, Guaitolini said, according to the Times.

The restaurant was contacting diners to let them know of possible exposure.

"My focus right now is on the safety of my staff who worked the floor that night, and on our guests," he added.

Palin's office and Guaitolini did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment.

Palin's defamation trial against The New York Times, which was scheduled to begin Monday, was postponed to Feb. 3 after she tested positive for COVID-19.

New York magazine features writer Shawn McCreesh on Saturday first tweeted about spotting Palin at the Manhattan restaurant.

City Hall further blasted Palin in a statement, saying, "The key to NYC rules were put in place to protect all New Yorkers - including the small businesses that power our city's economy," NBC reported.

"Ms. Palin needs to respect small business workers and follow the rules just like everyone else," it added.

New York City has a strict indoor vaccine requirement in place for workers and customers in indoor venues including restaurants, gyms, arenas and theaters.

"It's time for people to see vaccination as literally necessary for living a good, full and healthy life," then-New York Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) said last year when announcing the policy.

"If you're unvaccinated, unfortunately, you will not be able to participate in many things."