Dining out during an Epidemic

This post is a bit different to my previous posts. Today I will be discussing dining out during the current Covid-19 epidemic. 

At the minute we are facing something the world hasn't seen in hundreds of years, and definitely never in the context that we are experiencing it. Which means a lot of uncertainty as to how to handle it and what precautions to take. Due to this, guidelines are constantly changing - almost daily - and the hospitality industry is having to make constant changes to adhere to policy.

That being said, with all these changes should we feel safe dining out? In fact we were encouraged to with the "Eat out Scheme". But in my opinion, it isn't that simple and this is an individual opinion. 

Some of the social distancing measures that have been introduced are below:

Face masks for staff - Face masks or face coverings are now worn by waiters, bartenders and other staff members at hospitality venues. 

Face masks for customers - it is now mandatory in public enclosed spaces to wear a face mask, including restaurants and bars. Unless you're sitting at a table eating and drinking you are required to wear your face mask, including if you need to go to the bathroom, pay the bill or leaving the premises.

10pm curfew - it was announced on the 21 September that all bars and restaurants are required to close by 10pm. This has caused much concern in the industry.

Track and Trace - Restaurants and bars can now turn away customers who do not have the Track and Trace app on their phone. This has been a point of conflict as the app is only available on certain models of smartphone. 

Customer guestbook - At some premises who aren't using the Track and Trace app, you are required to hand over your contact details before visiting, which the business will keep on file for up to 21 days. 

One-way systems - Ensuring the flow of traffic is only going one way inside the premises stopping people from crossing paths and helping them to keep distance. 

Queuing systems - When arriving at a restaurant or pub, you may be required to queue outside, keeping a 1 metre distance between yourself and other customers.

Hand sanitiser stations - When entering and leaving the premises, you may be encouraged to use them, in order to help limit the spread of germs.

App ordering - To limit the amount of people who touch menus or go up to the bar to order food and drink, many restaurants and pubs are now using QR code menus or apps to help people order remotely.

In light of all these measures, I took a poll on the blog's Instagram - (@ThatGoodFoodBlog) - to see how many consumers really do feel comfortable dining out. 

To which the majority of my voters selected yes. Meaning these precautions are enough to make them comfortable to dine out. However, what about those that selected no? I enquired with one of my voters why they felt this way. Their answer was that "it was just not worth the risk". That there is no way to ensure these businesses are keeping up the same practises behind closed doors. 

I think it is not as simple as a yes or no. Each restaurant or bar is handling the situation differently. Meaning differing degrees of precautions, some doing their utmost to stop the spread while others do the bare minimum.