In partnership with The Fresh Toast

Going to restaurants remains a complicated process. Here’s how you can stay safe during the pandemic.

Dining out at a restaurant has changed dramatically over the past several of months. Now that most states are allowing indoor dining to resume, it’s very important for people to know the proper etiquette for these situations, allowing them to stay as safe as they can.

While most businesses now require the use of face masks, restaurants present us with a bit of conundrum. While you need to wear your mask upon entering, once you sit down and order, it becomes a bit of a challenge to stay diligent about basic COVID-19 safety measures.

Here are the basic rules you should follow when dining in a restaurant:

Sanitize your hands often

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Having clean hands should be a priority when dining out, so try to do it as often as possible. This doesn’t replace hand washing, but it’s nice to have a bottle of sanitizer at the ready for moments when you can’t get to the restroom. Many restaurants are placing bottles of sanitizers on their tables specifically for this purpose.

Put your mask someplace safe

Once you remove your mask, it’s important to put it somewhere accessible and safe. Don’t take your mask on and off, since this increases the odds of contaminating. Avoid putting your mask on the table, since this exposes the mask to other people’s respiratory droplets and whatever was on the table before you sat down. Wear your mask as a bracelet, with the inside part touching your arm, or place it in a paper bag, since this protects your mask for any outside contaminants.

Think about your server

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While you don’t want to be rude to your server, you should try to be mindful of their health and that they’re masked the entire time of your visit. You can try putting on your mask when they approach the table and servers should try to keep 6 feet of distance between themselves and diners. As a way of minimizing your interactions with them, avoid calling on them several times for things you don’t really need.

Read more on The Fresh Toast

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