SAN FRANCISCO—Indoor dining has been delayed indeterminately for San Francisco restaurants because of the pandemic. Originally, officials in San Francisco believed that the Bay Area restaurants could reopen November 3 from a 25% capacity to 50% capacity.
Los Angeles County’s health officials determined the increase in COVID-19 cases rose because of sit-down restaurant and bar experiences. Dr. Barbara Ferrer, County Public Health Director, said in a press conference Friday, October 30, that LA has “seen somewhere between 10 and 15 percent of cases being connected to a dining experience.”
Dr. Ferrer said that for people to dine indoors means they must remove their masks and engage in conversations, which promotes the disease. “This makes sense, because when people go to restaurants and bars they often spend a prolonged period of time in the presence of others who are outside of their household without their face coverings, and often engaged in conversations. Those are all strategies for increasing the spread of COVID-19.”
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention released a report in September 2020 that found sit-down restaurant and bar experiences doubles the likelihood of contracting COVID-19, “Exposures and activities where mask use and social distancing are difficult to maintain, including going to places that offer on-site eating or drinking, might be important risk factors for acquiring COVID-19. As communities reopen, efforts to reduce possible exposures at locations that offer on-site eating and drinking options should be considered to protect customers, employees, and communities.”
Because of these bans on indoor dining, people are turning to takeout and delivery options. Restaurants, like Shlap Muan, will deliver chicken wings, rice plates and, sandwiches all under $10 and will deliver to the patron’s home.
According to the City and County of San Francisco’s website, indoor dining will remain at 25% capacity of up to 100 people and outdoor dining is allowed, with the tables sitting 6 feet apart.
