Many Poway restaurants have finally been given the clearance to open their doors for indoor dining once again now that we have entered the red tier. Despite this, some fear an increase in COVID cases as a result of this permission.  It is necessary for many Poway businesses to allow indoor seating. Not every restaurant is able to accommodate outdoor seating, resulting in many restaurants having to close their doors while the order was in effect. 

     People think restaurants should purely rely on takeout, rather than dine-in if they are unable to provide outdoor seating. However, that would only require a few employees, whereas dining in the restaurant requires bussers to clean tables, hostesses to seat people, and dishwashers. These jobs help many people make a living, while the stimulus check barely covers a month’s worth of living expenses.

     The fear that cases would once again rise dramatically was due to the rise in cases back in November. In fact, this was actually due to the holidays, and studies done show that indoor dining had little to do with the rise in cases. John Hopkins University used data tracking the new COVID cases and travel data from the bureau Transportation to link the rise in cases to holiday travel. 

     These fears of COVID cases dramatically increasing are unfounded; if the restaurants take the right precautions, the increase in cases will be minimal. Restaurants will have to socially distance tables, constantly sanitize, put up plastic dividers, and make customers and staff wear masks, but it is possible.

     Customers who are scared about getting COVID in a restaurant, do not have to eat at a restaurant, it is their choice, but the state should not prevent people from being able to make a living.