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Do CDC findings support restrictions on outdoor dining to slow the spread of the coronavirus?

Saturday, December 12, 2020
By Christopher Hutton
YES

In September, the Centers for Disease Control reported that people testing positive for the coronavirus were twice as likely to have dined out at a restaurant as those testing negative. The study didn't distinguish between sitting indoors vs. outdoors, and it was impossible to pinpoint with certainty where subjects were exposed to the virus.

Indoors or out, masks are off while eating and drinking. Outdoor venues may offer fresh air, but don't always space households six feet apart, as recommended. A risk of exposure from voluble nearby customers or passers-by can't be ruled out. The CDC rates “outdoor dining with normal capacity” at the same risk level as dining inside with reduced capacity. With overall infection rates rising, some local health authorities have placed tighter limits on outdoor dining in recent weeks.

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