Lifting of Coronavirus restrictions on restaurants

klkla
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Re: Lifting of Coronavirus restrictions on restaurants

Post by klkla »

jamcool wrote: December 7th, 2020, 10:21 pm All major metropolitan areas in this country have required mask wearing since the spring, yet Covid rates keep going up. It means the masks aren’t working
No it doesn't. It doesn't mean that at all.

A lot of people have been traveling to the states that don't or didn't have mask requirements and they're bringing it back into the communities that do have the requirements. Even within the areas that have the mask requirements people are having backyard parties and packing them in. There are videos posted all over social media. We're talking groups of 50-100 people packed in with nobody wearing masks. Then those people go home and spread it to their families and friends.

Just yesterday I took a hike on the Pacific Electric Trail and passed a couple of houses that were having family parties of 10-20 people and nobody was wearing masks.

Please don't spread misinformation. The masks work but only if EVERYONE wears them in public and maintains social distance. It will never be perfect but it helps slow the spread. If the larger metropolitan areas hadn't maintained mask requirements throughout this crisis the case and death count would be exponentially higher. And, if the areas that refused to have mask mandates had had them we would have a much lower case and death count now.
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Re: Lifting of Coronavirus restrictions on restaurants

Post by storewanderer »

What exactly are the rules on outdoor dining in a California county with a stay at home order?

For instance today I was in a county with a stay at home order. There are a couple of tourist areas, outdoor mall like settings, with restaurants that have outdoor seating. Typically at this outdoor seating, it is "for restaurant customers only" and it is served by the restaurant staff like you are inside a restaurant. You have a server, the food comes on glass plates, cups, etc.

Today, the format has changed. Now, all of these tables are still outside but they are considered "common area seating" - anyone can sit there, not just restaurant customers. The restaurants have a to-go station set up outside and you go up there, order, then they give you your order in 100% disposable packaging and then you are free to take it and do whatever you want with it (meaning, go sit there at any of the dozens of tables that used to be server-served full service outdoor tables). Once you are done you are to take your trash away and throw it in any of the trash cans (there seem to be more of those than before).

This strikes me as very questionable from a compliance perspective. Perhaps the lack of employee service and use of disposable tableware makes it safer for the restaurant staff in there is less staff in the dining area.
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Re: Lifting of Coronavirus restrictions on restaurants

Post by Alpha8472 »

Based on the state order if a region goes below 15 percent of ICU beds free, then harsher restrictions such as a dining ban takes effect. Most of the regions have not yet reached that point. Some counties started banning dining ahead of time. It appears that only 4 counties in the San Francisco Bay Area allow outdoor dining. Outdoor dining is banned in most counties, however many restaurants are defying the order. Some police agencies do not enforce the bans and the restaurants do whatever they want. Other cities have the police fine the restaurants. For example, Danville fined $250 per restaurant. That is nothing. The restaurants pay the fine and more than make up for the fine by the profits.

There are other restaurants that claim it is not outdoor dining if they have no table service and just happen to have outdoor tables outside. They give customers the food in to go boxes and if customers eat at the tables outside that is just a coincidence.

Many restaurants invested in elaborate outdoor tents and heaters. They kept the tents, but officially ended outdoor table service. You see many customers still eating in the outdoor tents, but the tents are not officially staffed.
Last edited by Alpha8472 on December 14th, 2020, 4:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Lifting of Coronavirus restrictions on restaurants

Post by BillyGr »

A couple places here did that as well. One in a more rural setting had some picnic tables in their backyard which people were welcome to use (they did all orders takeout or delivery, no served seating at all).

Another (in a small strip of stores) had a couple tables set up on the sidewalk out front and their few indoor tables but again didn't serve at all - you just ordered at the counter, then when it was ready you were welcome to use a table if you didn't want to take it to go.

In at least the second case, it was probably not worth having someone to serve the tables (they only have about 10 normally) and the other was just they found it more convenient not to allow people into the building at all (the takeout would be brought out to the front door or to your car), though they don't have a huge number of tables either, so that may have factored in with spacing needed.
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Re: Lifting of Coronavirus restrictions on restaurants

Post by submariner »

Closing this. I think it's time to disallow COVID-19-related discussion from the board.
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