The State Of New York In State Of Perplexity Over COVID Situation

stacey

Updated on - Written by
Medically reviewed by Kathy Shattler, MS, RDN

The State Of New York In State Of Perplexity Over COVID Situation

New York restaurant owners and employees are finding themselves in a state of perplexity and uncertainty over what to do in the difficult situation that is the raging Omicron variant. 

This quandary has erupted following the lack of hard rules regarding COVID-positive employees and unemployment and the choice for restaurant owners to close establishments or not due to rising statistics. Now,  it’s a case of safety versus finances.

While restaurant owners and employees find themselves not yet agree on the answers and solutions to the quandary, what can be agreed upon is the health and safety precautions that should be taken to avoid further difficult situations arising. These refer to the claiming for unemployment and closing restaurant doors. 

To Close Or Not To Close, Now A COVID Question

In recent times, state-issued restaurant closures were defined as prohibitions on restaurants operating or limiting service to takeout, curbside pickup, or delivery. Allowing restaurants to provide indoor or outdoor on-premises dining was defined as the state lifting a state-issued restaurant closure. This, according to the CDC.

Following this reopening of on-premises dining at restaurants, a known risk factor associated with COVID, New York restaurants and employees is finding themselves seeking answers and guidance on the way forward. 

This need has escalated with rising infections in the state, and the state is headed towards a permanent Open Restaurants program.

Recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveal a high community transmission, a total of 206,986 COVID cases, and 556 deaths. When it comes to population vaccinations, 77.5% of the population is vaccinated. 

Best Practices For Restaurant Owners And Employees 

According to the U.S Food and Drug Administration, when it comes to best practices in restaurants, the following applies: 

  • Employers: Pre-screen (e.g., take temperature and assess symptoms prior to starting work).
  • Employers: Disinfect and clean workspaces and equipment, and consider more frequent cleaning of high touch surfaces.
  • Employees: Regularly self-monitoring through assessing COVID symptoms
  • Employees and customers: Wear a mask or face covering at all times
  • Employees: Practice social distancing and stay at least 6 feet from other people whenever possible.
  • Employees: Effective hand hygiene needs to be performed including washing hands with soap and water and alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
  • Employees: Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth and the using of gloves to avoid direct bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods.
  • Customers: Maintain good infection control and social distancing 
  • Employers: Discontinue high-risk operations, such as salad bars, buffets, and beverage service stations requiring that customers use common utensils or dispensers.   
  • Employers: Finding ways to encourage spacing between customers while in line for service or check out in accordance with the applicable State or local requirements.

These measures are effective in mitigating the spread of COVID and helping employees, employers, and customers to navigate the COVID minefield within restaurants. Adherence to these practices will also help restaurant employees to avoid having to claim unemployment and sick leave. 

In The Case That A Restaurant Employee Tests Positive For COVID

However, should a restaurant employee test positive for COVID, the following FDA guidelines and employee health management points apply for restaurant owners: 

  • Instruct employees with symptoms associated with COVID to report them to their supervisors. Instruct sick employees to stay home and to follow the CDC’s guidelines. Also, instruct them to consult with the local health department for additional guidance. 
  • If an employee is sick at work, send them home immediately. Clean and disinfect surfaces in their workspace. Others at the facility with close contact with the employee during this time should be considered exposed.  
  • Instruct employees who are well, but know they have been exposed to COVID, to notify their supervisor and follow CDC-recommended precautions.
  • Inform fellow employees of their possible exposure to COVID in the workplace if an employee is confirmed to have COVID while maintaining confidentiality.

What Is To Come Of The Quandary?

The future of dining out for guests, restaurant owners, and employees is uncertain. So too are the current questions on everyone’s lips: Will customers want to dine indoors during yet another Omicron surge? Will vaccination requirements change, and if they do, how will guests react? Will restaurant owners be forced to close and employees left facing unemployment? 

While the future is uncertain, what is certain is that all customers, restaurant owners, and employers must do everything in their power to uphold health and safety measures at all times. 

stacey

Medically reviewed by:

Kathy Shattler

Stacey Rowan Woensdregt has more than 15 years of experience in print media, online media, copywriting, and digital marketing. She has written for many bespoke magazines and media houses and has worked within top digital marketing agencies around the world. Her niche markets include architecture, property, health and wellness, holistic medicine, art and lifestyle, and business.

Medically reviewed by:

Kathy Shattler

Journal of Physical Education and Sport

Trusted Source

Go to source

SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online

Trusted Source

Go to source

African Journals Online

Non-profit Platform for African Journals

Trusted Source
Go to source

Journal of The American Board of Family Medicine

American Board of Family Medicine

Trusted Source
Go to source

Informit

RMIT University Library

Trusted Source
Go to source

European Food Safety Authority

Science, Safe food, Sustainability

Trusted Source
Go to source

OrthoInfo

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Trusted Source
Go to source

American Academy of Family Physicians

Strengthen family physicians and the communities they care for

Trusted Source
Go to source

Agricultural Research Service

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Trusted Source
Go to source

The American Journal of Medicine

Official Journal of The Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine

Trusted Source
Go to source

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Database From National Institute Of Health

Trusted Source
Go to source

Lippincott Journals

Subsidiaries of Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

Trusted Source
Go to source

National Institute on Aging

Database From National Institute Of Health

Trusted Source
Go to source

Translational Research

The Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine

Trusted Source
Go to source

Cell

An All-science Publisher

Trusted Source
Go to source

Journal of Translational Medicine

BioMed Central

Part of Springer Nature
Go to source

Federal Trade Commission

Protecting America's Consumers

Trusted Source
Go to source

National Human Genome Research Institute

Database From National Institute Of Health

Trusted Source
Go to source

Food Production, Processing and Nutrition

BioMed Central

Part of Springer Nature
Go to source

BMC Gastroenterology

BioMed Central

Part of Springer Nature
Go to source

ACS Publications

A Division of The American Chemical Society

Trusted Source
Go to source

Annual Reviews

Independent, Non-profit Academic Publishing Company

Trusted Source
Go to source

PubChem

National Center for Biotechnology Information

National Library of Medicine
Go to source

PLOS Journals

Nonprofit Publisher of Open-access Journals

Trusted Source
Go to source

Thieme E-books & E-Journals

Peer-reviewed & Open Access Journal

Trusted Source
Go to source

European Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences

Peer-reviewed International Journal Publishes

Trusted Source
Go to source

Royal Society of Chemistry Publishing Home

Chemical Science Journals, Books and Database

Trusted Source
Go to source

Frontiers

Publisher of Peer-reviewed Articles in Open Acess Journals

Trusted Source
Go to source

De Gruyter

German Scholarly Publishing House

Trusted Source
Go to source

Hindawi

Open Access Research Journals & Papers

Trusted Source
Go to source

Oilseeds and Fats, Crops and Lipids

EDP Sciences

Trusted Source
Go to source

Cambridge Core

Cambridge University Press

Trusted Source
Go to source

FoodData Central

U.S. Department Of Agriculture

Trusted Source
Go to source

Journal of the American Heart Association

Peer-reviewed Open Access Scientific Journal

Trusted Source
Go to source

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

Database From National Institute Of Health

U.S Department of Health and Human Services
Go to source

The Americans with Disabilities Act

U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division

Trusted Source
Go to source

Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Organization of Food and Nutrition Professionals

tr
Go to source

Sage Journals

Database From Sage Publications

Trusted Source
Go to source

National Institute of Drug Abuse

Database From National Institute Of Health

U.S Department of Health and Human Services
Go to source

The ClinMed International Library

A Repository and an Open Access Publisher for Medical Research

Trusted Source
Go to source

The Royal Society Publishing

United Kingdom's National Academy of Sciences

Trusted Source
Go to source

APA PsycNet

Database From American Psychological Association

Trusted Source
Go to source

The Pharma Innovation Journal

Peer-reviewed And Refereed Journal

Trusted Source
Go to source

Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research and Development

Peer-reviewed Bimonthly Journal

Trusted Source
Go to source

British Pharmacological Society

Journals - Wiley Online Library

Trusted Source
Go to source

American Psychological Association

Scientific and Professional Organization of Psychologists

Trusted Source
Go to source

AAP Publications

Database From American Academy of Pediatrics

Trusted Source
Go to source

Karger Publishers

Academic Publisher of Scientific and Medical Journals and Books

Trusted Source
Go to source

Cambridge University Press & Assessment

Database From Cambridge University

Trusted Source
Go to source

National Institute of Mental Health

Database From National Institute Of Health

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Go to source

MDPI

Publisher of Open Access Journals

Trusted Source
Go to source

Bulletin of the National Research Centre

Part of Springer Nature

Trusted Source
Go to source

The New England Journal of Medicine

Massachusetts Medical Society

Trusted Source
Go to source

Economic Research Service

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Trusted Source
Go to source

MedlinePlus

Database From National Library of Medicine

U.S Department of Health and Human Services
Go to source

National Institute of Health

An agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Trusted Source
Go to source

Trusted Source

Database From National Institute Of Health

U.S Department of Health and Human Services
Go to source

The BMJ

Weekly Peer-reviewed Medical Trade Journal

The British Medical Association
Go to source

The British Psychological Society

The British Psychological Society is a charity registered in England

Database From Wiley Online Library
Go to source

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Database From National Institute Of Health

U.S Department of Health and Human Services
Go to source

PubMed

Database From National Institute Of Health

U.S National Library of Medicine
Go to source

DailyMed

Database From National Institute Of Health

U.S National Library of Medicine
Go to source

Google Scholar

Go to source

Science.gov: USA.gov for Science

Government Science Portal

Go to source

ResearchGate

Social Network Service For Scientists

Find and share research
Go to source

American Heart Association

To be a rentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives

Go to source

BioMed Central

Research in progress

Go to source

JAMA Network

Home of JAMA and the Specialty Journals of the American Medical Association

Go to source

Springer Link

Database From Springer Nature Switzerland AG

Springer - International Publisher Science, Technology, Medicine
Go to source

ODS

Database from Office of Dietary Supplements

National Institutes of Health
Go to source

Federal Trade Commission

Bureaus of Consumer Protection, Competition and Economics
Go to source

Trusted Source

Database From U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

Governmental Authority
Go to source

Oxford Academic Journals

Oxford University Press

Trusted Source
Go to source

Taylor & Francis Online

Peer-reviewed Journals

Academic Publishing Division of Informa PLC
Go to source

WHO

Database from World Health Organization

Go to source

Journal of Neurology

Peer-reviewed Medical Journal

American Academy of Neurology Journal
Go to source

ScienceDirect

Bibliographic Database of Scientific and Medical Publications

Dutch publisher Elsevier
Go to source

Wiley Online Library

American Multinational Publishing Company

Trusted Source
Go to source

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

U.S. National Public Health Agency

U.S Department of Health and Human Services
Go to source

Trusted Source

Database from U.S. National Library of Medicine

U.S. Federal Government
Go to source

U.S. Food & Drug Administration

Federal Agency

U.S Department of Health and Human Services
Go to source

PubMed Central

Database From National Institute Of Health

U.S National Library of Medicine
Go to source
Feedback

Help us rate this article

Thank you for your feedback

Keep in touch to see our improvement