Be Careful Where You Eat!

When was the last time you dined at a restaurant?

Ever since the pandemic began, many of us can onlythinkabout eating out with a strong passing sense of nostalgia (and a rumbling stomach!). And from the most recent findings, it seems like the charming ambiance of a restaurant will have to wait a bit longer. 

Here’s why.

According to a new study published on Thursday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults infected with Covid-19, are nearly twice as likely to have eaten at a restaurant, 14 days before experiencing symptoms, than those who tested negative. 

Simply put, eating at a restaurant means a person has double the chances of catching the virus than the person eating at home.

Virus exposure in restaurants is linked to air circulation and the fact that while eating, one can’t have their masks on.It’s the temporary removal of face masks — for the space of a mere half-hour — that leaves an individual so susceptible to contraction. 

CDC’s Guiding Principles to Keep in Mind

Below are the CDC’s guidelines on the increasing risk of Covid-19 spread in a restaurant or bar setting

• Lowest Risk: Food-service limited to drive-through, delivery, take-out, and curb-side pick up.
• More Risk: Drive-through, delivery, take-out, and curb-side pick up emphasized. On-site dining limited to outdoor seating. Seating capacity reduced to allow tables to be spaced at least 6 feet apart.
• Even More Risk: On-site dining with both indoor and outdoor seating. Seating capacity reduced to allow tables to be spaced at least 6 feet apart.
• Highest Risk: On-site dining with both indoor and outdoor seating. Seating capacity not reduced and tables not spaced at least 6 feet apart.

Unless this pandemic weakens significantly, we recommend you wait a while before venturing out to eat at a restaurant. Whatever you do, don’t let your masks down!