Adhering to COVID-19 Guidelines at Restaurants

Melissa Diaz-Musa

Two weeks ago, quarantine regulations were adjusted and curfew hours pushed back to eleven on weekdays and twelve, midnight, for Friday and Saturday.  During its surveillance, however, public health officials are finding that some business establishments, particularly restaurants and shopping centers, are overcrowding and not adhering to the public health protocols. But, people need to exercise personal responsibility as well, says Doctor Melissa Diaz-Musa.

Dr. Melissa Diaz-Musa, Deputy Regional Health Manager, Central Health Region

“We’ve got to ensure that we look after each other. And not only with restaurants, I feel that many people may feel more relaxed, may feel that with the numbers going down, may feel reassured that there is no transmission going on, but we can never let our guard down. If we let our guard down that’s when the cases will start to come back up again. With regards to restaurants, we have our public health inspectors and we have a team and we have been going to many places. What we probably need to improve is going to these places after hours, so in the night time and on weekends as well. But we are asking definitely the restaurants to adhere to all the public health measures, keeping the tables further apart. There is no dancing and nothing of that sort, so if you come on a table and there are five of you, you should remain on your table. If you are getting up to go somewhere, you need to have your mask on. So we are asking proprietors to make sure and the managers of these places to ensure that these measures continue. A lot of people have said we can’t afford to close again – we don’t want to close our restaurants, we don’t want to close our stores – and we can if we take one step at the time, we do things in moderation and we protect each other as best as possible.”