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As winter weather sets in across the country, bars and restaurants are once again trying to adjust how COVID-19 will impact their business. And this time around, cold temperatures are forcing them to make outdoor dining and drinking “indoors” again.
But safety is still a top priority, which makes a precarious situation for the businesses from coast-to-coast who are erecting sometimes elaborate enclosures that toe the line of what “outdoor” and “indoor” actually mean.
In Oregon, for example, the state Health Authority has defined “outdoor spaces” that are within guidelines for hospitality service must have at least 75% of the square footage of sides open for airflow. This is key because simply being outside of a restaurant can create a false sense of security, The New York Times recently explained: “If customers wind up in completely enclosed spaces, the benefits of being outdoors, like increased airflow, would be lost, and the virus could spread more easily from infected people, through droplets and aerosols, especially if they were not wearing masks.” Sign up to read more.
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Words by Bryan Roth