The revelation comes as part of a new study released by the agency on March 5, which examined county-level data across the U.S. to determine the effect of mask mandates and indoor dining restrictions on COVID-19 case numbers and death rates. Results showed that areas where on-premise dining was allowed, whether indoor or outdoor, saw new cases begin to increase 41 to 100 days after restrictions were removed, followed by a 3 percent increase in deaths between 81 and 100 days after reopening.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb The researchers pointed out that previous studies that were considered as part of the larger report had helped uncover the troubling trend. This includes a September report that found that “adults with confirmed COVID-19 were approximately twice as likely as were control-participants to have reported dining at a restaurant in the 14 days before becoming ill.” And for more on where cases are climbing right now, check out This Is How High the COVID Risk Level Is in Your State, Data Shows. The latest study’s authors pointed out that conditions may become riskier as the result of restaurants eventually becoming busier, writing that “potential restaurant patrons might have been more cautious when restaurants initially reopened for on-premises dining but might have been more likely to dine at restaurants as time passed.” During a March 5 press briefing discussing the latest study, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, noted that the findings were clear: “You have increases in cases and deaths when you have in-person restaurant dining.” And for more on what else could be putting you at risk, check out If You’ve Had This Common Illness, You’re More Likely to Die From COVID.
The latest study concluded that basic safety measures were important to keep COVID from spreading, with the authors writing that “policies that require universal mask use and restrict any on-premises restaurant dining are important components of a comprehensive strategy to reduce exposure to and transmission of SARS-CoV-2.” They also emphasized that highly contagious variants of the virus that are currently spreading now make such safety measures even more important. The research comes as an increasing number of states have begun to roll back or entirely remove restrictions on dining, with the agency cautioning that any restaurants that chose to operate should be sure to follow the agency’s posted guidelines, The New York Times reports. But even quarantining staff who test positive, requiring patrons to wear masks, and prioritizing outdoor dining doesn’t guarantee safety. “It doesn’t really matter if it’s a restaurant, spin class, a gym, a choir practice—if you’re indoors with no masks, low or no ventilation, we know that’s higher risk,” Gery P. Guy, a scientist with the CDC’s COVID response team and the study’s corresponding author, told The Times. “Respiratory aerosols build up indoors. It’s that simple. This is a real problem for restaurants.” And for more COVID news delivered right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. While some might be eager to book dinner reservations, chief White House COVID adviser Anthony Fauci, MD, recently admitted that he’s not ready to start dining at xrestaurants quite yet even though he’s fully vaccinated. “I still do not do dining … I still do takeout,” he told Washington D.C.’s local NBC affiliate WRC-TV. But that hasn’t stopped him from helping out his favorite local establishments. “I want to continue to support the restaurants in my neighborhood that I would normally go to. We could cook at home every night, but we just go out deliberately to get takeout, at least a few times a week, maybe more,” he said. And for more on what you could do to stay safe, check out These 3 Vitamins Could Save You From Severe COVID, Study Finds.
