Restaurants adjust to public health demands
If you see your favorite restaurant is closed for the Fourth of July, it's probably because the staff has earned the break.
A tough week got tougher on Wednesday for local restaurants and bars when Mayor David Holt announced a “dimming” to the reopening schedule.
“We no longer have to speculate about what activities might spread the virus,” Holt said at Wednesday's news conference. “We now have thousands of cases to look at. The two sources of outbreak in particular that
have really stood out to our epidemiologists are restaurant and bar workers and bar patrons,” he said. “This new information is perhaps no surprise based on the younger demographic of our cases last month.”
Restaurant and bar workers tend to be young people who change jobs frequently and keep busy social lives. With a lot of extra time on their hands, the infection rate of hospitality workers indicates they did some socializing at bars.
Dr. Patrick McGough, executive director of the Oklahoma City- County Health Department, confirmed the news, saying data showed the number of hospitality workers with COVID-19 was trending up.
In response, Holt ordered all bar and restaurant staff in the city to wear a mask while on duty. Bars will operate at 50% capacity with social-distancing measures in place.
“The most dangerous activity is simply having a conversation with another person where tiny droplets of saliva are spread,” he said.
As restaurants increased capacity and staff, employees returned to work. Among the requirements for returning was proof of a negative COVID- 19 test. Rococo owner/chef Bruce Rinehart said he had one employee send a photo of someone else's negative test before trying to come back to work. He also had another claim to have tested positive in order to attend a weekend lake gathering.
“The employee was terminated,” he said.
Once an employee's COVID-19 test results are confirmed, a health department liaison advises the restaurant on what steps need to be taken.
Tommy Byrd, owner of Bellini's Ristorante and Grill, just went through the process after one of his cooks tested positive last week.
“When he called with a confirmed test, we sent everybody home,” Byrd said. “Then we closed down for three days or so to sanitize and get everyone tested. The Health Department looked at everything we've done and how we handled everything and said it was perfect.”
Bellini's was back open by Wednesday. Its large, covered outdoor patio has proven a popular haven for dining at a safe distance in the open air thanks to a mild June.
“Our numbers were actually up over last June,” Byrd said. “We've found a way to thrive, but it hasn't been easy. I'm so proud of our staff.”
Positive tests at restaurants will continue, just as they have been pervasive at meat- packing plants, Amazon warehouses and any other business reliant on public spaces.
“There have been no cases of the infection passed from food,” said Kurt Fleischfresser, who is a chefpartner at Western Concepts restaurant group, vice president of culinary operations at Vast, and Board Chair of The Oklahoma Restaurant Association. “The way we clean and sanitize our restaurants makes them about the safest place to be in Oklahoma, as long as you wear a mask.”
Rinehart doesn't expect diners to eat and drink through a mask, but he said it's important that everyone who enters a restaurant be respectful to others. He believes that's all wearing a mask is.
“We would like it if you entered the restaurant wearing a mask. The entry is a public area with a lot traffic,” Rinehart said. “Keep it on as you walk through the dining room. Our staff will be wearing a mask. For their protection, we'd like it if you wore one when you ordered. When drinks arrive, relax. Take down your mask and just decompress. Same with the food. If you've got to get up to use the restroom, put your mask on in case you pass other tables.”
Fleishfresser is working with ORA members in Tulsa today to finalize a restaurant promise that will be posted at participating restaurants. The act of solidarity is aimed at helping the industry stabilize while efforts continue to work with the federal government to extend assistance to the hospitality industry.
“We're not competing right now, we're working together,” Fleischfresser said. “We've always had a fairly tight-knit community, and we understand the only way forward is to set aside differences.”
Rinehart agreed, “We're all gonna have to row in the same direction to survive.”
McGough also pleaded for people to wear face masks at Wednesday's news conference.
“Keeping our economy open depends on each one of us,” McGough said. “Wearing a mask is a statement that you value not only the lives of others, but that you value your own. It is not a political statement.”