COVID In Philadelphia: Restaurant Workers, Owners Relieved After City Eases Restrictions On Indoor Dining
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --Today's confirmation to resume indoor dining is a sigh of relief for restaurant workers and owners. Philadelphia's COVID-19 case rates are still very high, but health officials anticipate they will decline in the coming weeks.
Meantime, restaurants around the city will be allowed to resume indoor dining on Saturday.
Chefs at DOHO in Mount Airy are gearing up for Tuesday's grand opening.
"This is a good first step for us," executive chef Perlman Roth said.
The Mexican-Asian fusion restaurant is bringing something different to the table.
"Amazing cuisine that hasn't been seen in this area or in the city," said Peter Loevy with Catering By Design.
After offering off-premise catering for the last 30 years, owners are now dipping their fingers in the restaurant scene in the middle of a pandemic.
"This will give us a little time to see what we can do with indoor dining," Roth said.
Pacing themselves, they're only offering takeout and delivery for now. Other establishments like Kite & Key that offer full-service dining in Philadelphia will have the green light to reopen their dining rooms starting Saturday.
"It will help. It will help," said Jim Kirk from Kite & Key. "The majority of our business is gone. It's gone."
However, there are some limitations.
"No more than 25% seating capacity, no table of more than four people," said Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley.
And those you dine out with must be from your household.
Dr. Farley says they are trying their best to strike a balance between protecting residents as well as keeping the economy afloat.
He also says an increase in case numbers could lead to future closures.
Precautions, including mask-wearing and limits, are critical for both restaurant employees and customers to follow universally.
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