As restaurants are beginning to return to in-house dining after months or either being closed or only offering takeout due to the threat of coronavirus, there are obviously things that will be very different about the dining experience – servers wearing masks, social distancing being observed in restaurants, and potentially disposable menus, silverware, plates, and cups.
But while restaurants will be taking precautions, you should as well when you return to restaurants as long as COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, is present in our communities.
Hammonton Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing has four ways to keep yourself safe while dining out.
- Be Prepared to Share Your Identity
As many communities set up systems to perform contact tracing in order to quell any potential spikes in virus cases, restaurants may request that you provide your name and contact information. This way, if someone tied to the restaurant or the time of your visit tests positive for COVID-19, you can be informed and can opt to either get tested or self-quarantine.
- Restaurants Using Geotracking
Some people are squeamish about giving their contact information, so you should also be aware that many restaurants – in order to, as they say, increase efficiency – are asking you to share your location from your smartphone. This allows the restaurant to prepare your order and bring it to your vehicle when you arrive, thus cutting down on wait-times.
- Paying With Cash May End
In order to limit items that people touch in restaurants, some restaurants – especially larger chains – have temporarily gone cashless during the pandemic. If you’re wary about giving your credit card to the server, the good news is that some restaurants are having customers swipe their cards themselves in order to limit contact.
- Ventilation Systems as a Concern
Some studies show that ventilation systems in indoor spaces can help transmit the virus, and an outbreak in China was linked to a restaurant’s air-conditioning system, which moves air around in a closed space. Wearing masks (until you’re ready to eat) can help, and many restaurants are also expanding outdoor seating, as research has also showed that the virus doesn’t transmit very well outside.
To learn more about Hammonton Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing and all of the services they offer, visit http://hammonton-center.facilities.centershealthcare.org/.
