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Residents pining for a sense of normalcy got their first taste of it over the weekend, after the stay at home order in Rhode Island was lifted.
Next week they’ll get another: the return of going out to eat. But the experience — like everything else during this time — will be very different.
Restaurants will be able to reopen for sit-down service, but only in outdoor seating spaces. The number of seats will also be greatly reduced. Tables will be separated by at least eight feet, and no more than 20 tables total will be allowed in any outdoor space.
For customers, dining will be by reservation only, no walk ups.
Once you get there, expect some sort of screening for illness. The state is not expected to make formal requirements, but those screenings could range from a temperature check, to questions by staff, to a self-check poster hanging at the entrance.
Menus will be different too. Because the virus appears to survive on hard surfaces, shared menus will be a thing of the past. State officials are recommending digital menus, writing out menus on chalkboards, or one-time use paper menus.
Patrons will also be asked to provide contact information to the restaurant, in the event that a case of COVID-19 is associated with the restaurant, and the department of health needs to contact staff and customers.
“This is going to be one more tool to do effective contact tracing,” said Governor Gina Raimondo Monday.
Restaurants must also meet new cleaning requirements, including regular sanitation of flatware and utensils. Tables and chairs must be disinfected after every seating.
Raimondo acknowledged the changes will put new strains on the food service industry. She said the state could provide access to free or reduced-price medical supplies and cleaning supplies to restaurants.
Over the last almost two months, restaurants have largely been closed, or have offered limited options for takeout and delivery, minimizing contact between customers or staff. Restaurant owners feared closing for good, and service industry workers have largely been forced to collect unemployment.
The state is now looking into using federal COVID relief funding to provide some money to help prop up the industry.
Reopening the restaurants is the next step in reopening Rhode Island’s economy, as the pandemic appears to ease in the state. Cases of the illness are plateauing, Raimondo said Monday, even as eight new fatalities and 176 new cases were reported. The total number of deaths associated with COVID-19 is now 430. The total number of cases in the state has reached 11,450.
Non-essential retail shops opened over the weekend, along with some parks around the state. The Governor lifted the stay-at-home order, but kept the social gathering number capped at five people.
Teams of inspectors with the department of health and business regulation checked in on public spaces and some 200 stores to see how well regulations were followed over the weekend. According to the Governor, no gatherings were found to be in violation of the order, and about 95 percent of store workers wore facial coverings. However, just 75 percent of customers appeared to be doing the same.
“We have to do better,” Raimondo said Monday. “I have to remind everybody, our focus here is voluntary compliance. It’s very easy to wear a face mask. Just wear a scarf. Any cloth covering.”
New sectors are expected to open over the coming weeks and months, including childcare centers and beaches. Church services are expected to resume, likely with restrictions, by June, Raimondo said Monday.
As the state continues to open new areas, residents will have to get used to a new way of life, with social distancing, face masks, and restricted services Raimondo warned.
“Don’t try to fight this,” said Raimondo. “This virus is here, it’s powerful. We don’t have a cure, we don’t have a vaccine, so don’t fight it. Be creative, flexible, collaborative. Adapt our way of doing things.”
