Dining ban to remain in place amid concern about post-holiday spike
A ban on indoor and outdoor dining in Baltimore amid the coronavirus pandemic will remain in place, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott announced Friday.
Earlier this week, Scott pledged to revisit the ban and other virus-related restrictions that he enacted in early December during his first full week in office. While the city reported an overall decrease in coronavirus cases Tuesday, health experts have seen an unsettling increase that they believe is a result of people socializing over the holidays, particularly New Year’s Eve.
Scott, a Democrat, said Friday he was not ready to lift the dining ban or ease other restrictions with that pattern in place.
“I understand this is frustrating to business owners and restaurateurs,” said Scott, pleading with both to have faith and patience during a news conference.
Restaurants have remained open for delivery and takeout service, but the ban on in-person dining has been controversial — particularly among restaurant owners, who have operated under some level of restrictions since March.
The city’s coronavirus restrictions also include caps at 25% of capacity for retail and religious institutions, gyms, malls and museums. The restrictions have no expiration date, but the mayor has pledged to revisit the plan every four weeks to discuss changes.
Letitia Dzirasa, the city’s health commissioner, said Friday that Baltimore continues to average two deaths per day as a result of COVID-19. The city’s seven-day average of new daily cases rose to 221 Friday, she said, while it was only 178 on Tuesday. More than 1,000 new cases were reported in that three-day span, she said.
Scott said he will consult with health experts to reassess the situation next week and make a decision whether to make changes to the restrictions by Jan. 15.
Judy Neff, owner of Checkerspot Brewing in Baltimore, said it was “pretty disappointing” to see the city’s outdoor dining ban continue. Before the most recent shutdown, the South Baltimore brewery had offered socially distant outdoor seating with tables spaced out, she said. Though some customers still come for takeout orders, overall revenue has dropped 80%, she said.
“To have that shut down, especially on these beautiful weekends, has been unnecessary and sort of makes it pretty tough for everybody,” she said
Neff ’s business was listed as a plaintiff in the Restaurant Association of Maryland’s lawsuit against Baltimore asking for an injunction to allow on-premise dining. A judge last month allowed the dining ban to stand; a hearing has been rescheduled for next week. But Neff said she’s no longer interested in pursuing legal action.
“We’re not really up for going through a long battle,” she said. “By the time they get through with it, it will probably be to the point where we’re back open.”
Alex Perez of Papi Cuisine said the cycle of openings and closings has led to an exhausting juggling act on his part. Since his Fells Point restaurant opened last summer, customers from as far away as California have booked reservations months in advance for a chance to sample his crab cake egg roll, which went viral on social media this year.
“It’s a little unsettling when you have to cancel months worth of reservations — and explain these things to those customers,” he said.
Perez said his restaurant’s business actually has increased during shutdowns, but he’s still had to eliminate front-of-house positions like bartenders, hosts and servers. While some staff have stayed on to manage carryout orders, their pay is “nowhere near what they would make if they were serving,” he said. Others have taken jobs at restaurants in surrounding counties, where restaurants are still allowed to serve guests.
Baltimore’s coronavirus restrictions are stricter than the statewide guidelines outlined by Republican Gov. Larry Hogan and several surrounding jurisdictions. The governor has limited most indoor establishments to 50% capacity, and state rules permit indoor and outdoor dining until 10 p.m. each day.