Eating out and COVID-19 have not gone hand in hand. During the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, many restaurants completely closed to the public. Some stayed open, allowing for takeout and delivery only, but many shutdown altogether. Either way, they suffered. The restaurant owners lost money, and many of the employees, from the hostesses and servers to the kitchen staff, were unemployed for months. But now that many places of business have reopened with precautions in place, the restaurant industry is hoping that people will return. Unfortunately, the real question is: Is eating out really safe? Or are restaurants still dangerous because someone with COVID-19 may enter and spread the virus?
The Bottomline: Restaurants Are Safe in Most Cases
Thankfully, the answer to that first question is: yes. Most restaurants are safe to enter and eat at, as long as they are following the CDC guidelines. The odds of transmission are low if the set rules and protocols are followed. With that said, there have been some reports in the news of restaurants not following the CDC’s recommendations and endangering both their employees and patrons. As a result, they have been shut down. And to answer that second question, if a person with COVID-19 entered the restaurant, as long as they followed proper masking protocols and social distancing guidelines -and you do as well – everyone will likely be fine.
With that said, someone with a weakened immune system or another pre-existing condition that makes them particularly susceptible to COVID-19 should avoid eating in a restaurant. Instead, they should limit their exposure by ordering delivery or picking up takeout.
Restaurant Guidelines
There are a number of guidelines set in place by the CDC that restaurants must follow if they want to remain open and serving customers during the COVID-19 pandemic. These safety protocols include:
Wearing Masks – Everyone in the restaurant, from the servers to the customers, needs to wear a mask. How will this work for people trying to eat and drink? Well, since you obviously can’t do either of those while wearing a mask, once your food arrives, you may remove your mask. However, when your server brings you extra drinks or napkins, those masks should be put back on. The same is true once you’re done eating, going to the restroom, or heading out the door – mask up again.
Social Distancing – Restaurants have greatly limited the number of people who can currently sit in their dining rooms. Some have placed yellow caution tape over certain booths to ensure that everyone sits in groups that are at least six feet apart, while others simply removed the chairs from the tables in between these seating areas. Many lobbies also have social distancing protocols in place, from everyone having to wear a mask and remain six feet apart, to having to wait outside while waiting for a table. Again, as long as your mask is in place for your safety and that of the people around you, everything should be fine.
Sanitation Protocols – If you look at most restaurant tables these days, many of the mainstays, from the napkin holder to the salt and pepper shakers are gone. Instead, if you require any of these items, you’ll need to ask your waitress, and you will most likely be handed disposable options, like tiny salt packets or paper napkins. This is to prevent the opportunity for the virus to linger on the tables, as well as to make it easier to properly sanitize them in between customers.
So, in the end, the good news is that eating out can still be both doable and safe (or at least a low-risk adventure), if both you and the restaurant of your choosing are dedicated to following the necessary CDC safety guidelines and protocols concerning COVID-19.