Rhode Island restaurants to offer limited outdoor dining May 18 with screenings

Rhode Islanders will soon be able to dine al fresco again.

Gov. Gina Raimondo announced Monday that the state will allow restaurants to offer limited outdoor dining starting May 18.

The state’s strict new guidelines call for dining by reservation only and no more than five people per dining party.

Restaurants will also be limited to 20 outdoor tables spaced at least eight feet apart or separated by barriers, said Raimondo, a Democrat.

They’ll also be required to screen customers for the virus and take down their contact information for the state’s contact tracing efforts.

The intensity of the screening will be left to restaurants but could include warning signs, having a server ask customers if they’re feeling sick, or even taking their temperatures, Raimondo said.

And state officials will recommend that restaurants use disposable or digital menus as well as single-use condiments and utensils, the governor said.

Restaurants will also have to sanitize tables and chairs after every customer, and they won’t be allowed to offer valet parking, she added.

Reopening economy

Workers and customers mostly adhered to the state’s rules for wearing face masks in public as the state took its first steps to reopen its shuttered economy this past weekend, Raimondo said Monday.

State inspectors visiting local businesses this weekend reported about 95% of employees were wearing the required face coverings and about 75% of customers were, she said.

The state lifted its stay-athome order Saturday, reopening retail shops deemed nonessential and some parks. Rhode Island’s limit of five people or less for social gatherings remains in effect, however.

Hospitalizations decline

Hospitalizations from the coronavirus have steadily declined in Rhode Island, according to state Department of Health data released Monday.

There are now about 275 people in the hospital because of the virus, down from around 300 last week and about 350 earlier this month, according to department data.

Health officials also reported eight more virus-related deaths, raising Rhode Island’s count to 430 fatalities since the pandemic started.

They also reported nearly 200 new positive cases Monday, bringing the state’s tally to about 11,500 cases to date.