The New Normal

[marcski]

No need to apologize, guess I should to you if I offended you. Simply put I was shocked to read about a city I truly enjoy going to hell. I was very happy to hear that it was BS. I put that here because I know some of you guys are from down that way and give it to me from the horses mouth. My bad. Peace ✌

Long live NYC ??

You didn't offend me in the least, Camp. And, I don't live in the City but I am a downstater. It's just a stupid article. The city isn't going to shit. It is a high density area and should be diligent and cautious... it's why NY is on the right track with Covid. There is also, as you know, a huge downturn in the economy, which will have an effect in a number of ways, unfortunately, mostly negative.

All good camp!??

 

[Warp daddy]

Class act ?

 

[MarzNC]

Ate outside at Food and Fire reataurant in Johnson city, NY. Sat outside, open air seating. Asked for Ketchap... was given those tiny little packets... was told plastic Ketchap bottles are too dangerous to touch and might be infected with the virus!

While that might seem silly (it is), I'd rather that a restaurant be more cautious than less. I've eaten indoors with my daughter a couple times while on driving trips in NC in the last couple months, plus once near near home (near Raleigh, NC).

The last experience in central NC is a place I won't return to any time soon. I was driving my daughter back to college in Asheville (about 10 days ago). We had never stopped there before and the food got good reviews. What made made the most uncomfortable was it became clear that the waitresses didn't think face masks are anything but a stupid state regulation. Except for one, they weren't covering their nose and half the time barely covering their mouth. One spent a fair amount of time chatting with one table with a couple of local men who she obviously knew, and her mask wasn't even covering her mouth most of the time as she chatted far closer than six week. None of the few new guests who walked in while we were there had a mask on. The place was large and had ceiling fans, probably only at 10% capacity during lunch time mid-week.

The NC Governor has held firm on keeping bars closed. He got a lot of criticism for that particular component of Phase 2 when it had to be extended past late May. Phase 2 was extended again recently to last until at least Sept. 11. Needless to say, fewer people were complaining loudly when the rules shifted recently so that restaurants weren't allowed to serve alcohol after 11pm because some were staying open late and essentially becoming bars after dinner time. Several local jurisdictions had banned late night alcohol sales earlier. In Orange County, restaurants have to close by 10pm. That rule went into place a few weeks before the UNC Chapel Hill students returned . . . around 25,000 of them, which is close to half the population of the town.

In late July, several states with surging COVID-19 numbers re-closed bars and indoor dining at restaurants. The list included CA, CO, NM, and ID. I'm watching NM closely because I plan to go back to Taos Ski Valley mid-season. In NYC, restaurants and bars remained closed in June and July.

August 12, NY Times
The Nation Wanted to Eat Out Again. Everyone Has Paid the Price.
Governments and restaurant owners wanted to get back to business. But bars and restaurants have become a focal point for clusters of Covid infections.

The Nation Wanted to Eat Out Again. Everyone Has Paid the Price. (Published 2020)

Governments and restaurant owners wanted to get back to business. But bars and restaurants have become a focal point for clusters of Covid infections.

www.nytimes.com

 

[MarzNC]

An issue for a restaurant is whether or not to tell the public when an employee tests positive. In NC, there have been places that have had to close for a few days or up to the full 14-day quarantine period after a positive test. I think the owners that opt for transparency are going to do better in the long run. Often, the announcement is made on social media like Instagram or Facebook.

July 21, The Charlotte Observer
In Charlotte, restaurants don't have to report COVID cases, yet some do. Why?

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/charlottefive/c5-wellness/article244371827.html

". . .
North Carolina law doesn’t require restaurants to disclose when employees test positive for COVID-19. Yet in Charlotte, some restaurant owners are choosing to tell the public, anyway. As of July 21, at least 15 Charlotte restaurants had made announcements that they would temporarily cease operations after employees tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

“We do not release the names of businesses that have had a positive case of COVID-19 unless there is a public health reason to release the name to the public. We notify every business that has a case among their staff as we investigate and isolate the case, determine who the contacts to the case are, and follow up with those contacts to assure that they are aware and quarantining as appropriate,” an official statement from the Mecklenburg County Department of Public Health said.

The department then works with those businesses to ensure they’re responding appropriately to the situation and will alert customers to a possible exposure if it’s deemed necessary.
. . .
“I believe it’s important to control the narrative of our own restaurant. That way, it’s not being told by word-of-mouth. We all know how the game of telephone can go,” Earley said. [restaurant owner] “It’s best to create your own narrative, and it shows your guests that they’re your main concern, that you have them on your mind and in your heart. We wanted to be the ones to let everyone know what our plan was.”
. . ."

 

[marcski]

You are certainly braver than I! As much as I love food, used to work in the industry and have friends that own restaurants, I will not be dining inside one any time in the foreseeable future. It almost boggles my mind if I run in and pick something up and I see people (diners and even some workers) sitting inside, eating, talking, no masks (or not properly worn) as if nothing is wrong. Am I overly cautious? Perhaps. Does it boggle my mind because I'm crazy...I'm not so sure.

 

[Warp daddy]

You are certainly braver than I! As much as I love food, used to work in the industry and have friends that own restaurants, I will not be dining inside one any time in the foreseeable future. It almost boggles my mind if I run in and pick something up and I see people (diners and even some workers) sitting inside, eating, talking, no masks (or not properly worn) as if nothing is wrong. Am I overly cautious? Perhaps. Does it boggle my mind because I'm crazy...I'm not so sure.

You simply are being both wise and prudent . We too have not and will not dine INSIDE or outside ANY restaurant until this is safe .

 

[jasonwx]

You simply are being both wise and prudent . We too have not and will not dine INSIDE or outside ANY restaurant until this is safe .

I have done takeout ..No interest in dinning in or out...

 

[MarzNC]

Best to just watch the video and not worry too much about reading the background. The actual movie is about 8 min. Not necessary to have seen 2001: A Space Odyssey recently. Carefully crafted in NYC this spring.

2020: AN ISOLATION ODYSSEY : LYDIA CAMBRON

lydiacambron.com

 

[MarzNC]

You are certainly braver than I!

Not sure that much bravery is required when it comes to dining inside a very empty restaurant for 30-40 min. Staying well informed as more is learned about how SARS-CoV-2 is probably transmitted helps me in terms of deciding what level of risk is likely to exist for a given situation. I read reports and saw videos about the impact of airflow on aerosols and droplets back in March. I don't have a medical background but I do have a research background professionally. As a statistician, I'm pretty good at dealing with uncertainty.

How people decide to live with COVID-19 is going to be based on very personal decisions. There isn't a right way or wrong way to stay healthy, but lots of alternatives that each have pros and cons.

 

[Campgottagopee]

You simply are being both wise and prudent . We too have not and will not dine INSIDE or outside ANY restaurant until this is safe .

I have dined both inside and outside, go to the diner every Friday AM for breakfast. The cleaning and disinfecting that's going on in between seating's is second to none, people are respecting others space. Going out to eat is something I really enjoy doing and I'm glad I can still do it.

I did go to a bar that was elbow to elbow ----- I slammed my beer then left. Didn't care for that scene at all.