As more states begin to reopen, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released guidelines for avoiding health risks if you plan to visit a restaurant or bar. As the CDC notes, COVID-19 is mostly spread by respiratory droplets released when people talk, cough, or sneeze, as well as from hands touching a contaminated surface. Gathering in crowded eateries will make it easier for the virus to spread, however, there are steps both customers and restaurant employees can take to limit contact. Here's what you need to know to safely visit your favorite restaurant.
In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in restaurants and bars, the CDC recommends both customers and employees follow a number of personal prevention practices. These practices include regular hand washing, environmental cleaning and disinfection and using a tissue if you need to sneeze as oppose to using your hand or elbow. The CDC recommends that restaurants and bars require all guests and employees to wear a face covering except when eating or drinking.
The CDC recommends restaurants wholly switch to or prioritize outdoor seating if possible. If outdoor seating is not possible, the CDC advises restaurants to keep windows and doors open in order to circulate outdoor air into the indoor dining area. It is also recommended that the seating layout be modified to keep all parties six feet apart, as well as limiting seating capacity to allow for proper social distancing.
In their guidelines, the CDC also broke down the risks of reopening restaurants and bars from the lowest to highest. The lowest risk for COVID-19 contact and spread is via eateries limited to drive-through, delivery, take-out and curbside pick up. Risk increases when outdoor dining with reduced capacity and tables spaced six feet apart is allowed. There is even more risk associated with restaurants and bars that plan to reopen with both indoor and outdoor dining even if they reduce capacity and space their tables six feet apart. The highest risk will be at establishment that reopen with no social distancing or reduced capacity.
You can read the CDC's full guidelines on safely visiting reopened restaurants and bars on their website. Do you plan on dining out as more states begin the reopening process?
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