I’m sitting here trying to remember the last time I dined at a restaurant, café, or any eat-in place, and for the life of me, I can’t seem to recall. It must have been sometime in early last year. That’s not to say I haven’t enjoyed food from a restaurant; we’ve definitely done takeout a few times. Once a month, my partner and I have a sort of COVID-19 date night, where we leave our teenage son to watch his siblings and drive to our favorite taco spot, eat in our car, and jam to some tunes from the ’90s.
Like many, I do miss the experience of dining out with family and friends. I also feel a tremendous amount of empathy for those working in the restaurant sector. However, the truth is that restaurants can be prime spots for COVID-19 transmission.
Last Friday, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a new study highlighting the effectiveness of mask-wearing against COVID-19. Their findings indicated that in locations where in-person dining was allowed, there was a notable surge in daily infections around six weeks later, followed by an uptick in COVID-19 death rates about two months after.
The CDC’s message remained clear: “Enforcing mask mandates and limiting on-premises dining at restaurants can help mitigate community transmission of COVID-19 and lower case and death growth rates.” Yet, several states, like Texas and Mississippi, seem eager to lift mask mandates and fully reopen restaurants, as if the threat of COVID-19 has vanished.
And let me tell you, it hasn’t.
While it’s encouraging that many Americans are getting vaccinated—over 54 million individuals have received at least one dose according to the New York Times—there’s still a long way to go. My partner works at our children’s school and recently received her first vaccine dose, with the second one scheduled soon.
But my friends, we aren’t out of danger yet. The U.S. still sees around 2,000 COVID-19 deaths daily, a stark reminder of the ongoing risk. Is the chance of contracting or spreading COVID-19 worth enjoying a meal inside your favorite restaurant? We both know the answer is a resounding “no.”
Research from China, published in October 2020, revealed that indoor spaces—like restaurants—are among the most common places to catch COVID-19. Moreover, a September 2020 CDC study found that confirmed COVID-19 patients were nearly twice as likely to have dined at a restaurant in the two weeks prior to their illness.
Ventilation plays a significant role in how the virus spreads, and indoor dining areas often lack sufficient airflow. Jose-Luis Jimenez, a chemistry professor at the University of Colorado, explained that diners release aerosols into the environment much like smoke from a cigarette. While safety guidelines recommend gathering outdoors and wearing masks, dining in restaurants turns this advice upside down—you spend extended periods there, talking without masks, and sharing the same air.
I know it’s been a long year, but we can hold off. We really can. We can refrain from in-person dining until the vaccination rollout is more advanced.
Just last week, President Biden announced that “We’re now on track to have enough vaccine supply for every adult in America by the end of May,” an improvement from previous estimates of July. There is light at the end of this long COVID-19 tunnel.
So, if you’re in a state where restaurants are reopening for in-person dining, my advice is simple: don’t go. Takeout orders are still a valid option. Leave a generous tip when you can, and support local businesses while also doing your part to curb the virus’s spread.
The end is in sight. We are making progress with vaccinations, and case numbers are declining. But we must not rush into dining out too soon. We need to acknowledge that COVID-19 remains a serious threat, especially with new variants emerging globally. Let’s see this through until we achieve herd immunity with the vaccine. Then, when it’s safe, we can enjoy dining in restaurants again—without the fear of a side of COVID with our meal.
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In summary, while the vaccination rollout is encouraging, we should remain cautious about indoor dining and continue supporting local eateries through takeout. Once it’s deemed safe, we can return to enjoying meals out without the worry of COVID-19.