I'm not going to a restaurant again.

[ssd]

Me and dh just been out for dinner. Cheap and cheerful place, food not brilliant but half price so can't complain. Social distancing in place, took contact details at door, hand sanitiser at entrance and exit, paid contact less. Our table has plenty space around it.

Still felt too dodgy. Didn't enjoy it.
Won't be doing that again for a while.

I've eaten out a few times and have been fine, which considering my anxiety levels a few weeks ago is surprising. Like others have said, make hay while the sun shines. I'm sensible, people around me seem to mostly be sensible too. I'd prefer to eat out/visit a country pub than go shopping atm.

why dont the people who have noticed no sd or cleanliness say something or at least email the manager with your concerns

if noone says anything they wont do anything will they-they need to know people who are coming in dont feel safe

If I walked into a place and thought it dirty or just badly run I would not hesitate to walk out.

I know what you mean. We went out for dinner yesterday and it was pretty close.

DP and I had Covid-19 back in April thanks to working in the NHS without adequate PPE so we personally don't feel too bad being out and about, but I can imagine that if we hadn't caught it I wouldn't feel the distancing and plate handling was adequate.

@SirSamuelVimesBlackboardMonito

Unless you are in Manchester, Bradford, Aberdeen or Leceister you need to address your perception of this risk. Go and find out how many hospitalisations and how many deaths there have been in your area in the last three weeks. I bet you it's less than you think.

If the restaurant is doing all it should be re safety measures and there's nothing making it feel dodgy other than your own perception of the risk, you need to reset your risk perception.

There is nothing special about those places that makes them different. Take Aberdeen for example: low hospitalisations, no deaths in the last three weeks. Then on someone who had travelled from France (no quarantine required) visited a pub...

I've been waitressing this week. Wearing a mask, visors seem worse than pointless, I'd be sending my breath down towards seated customers. No gloves, instead hand washing and using 94% alcohol sanitizer between every single task, so upwards of 80 times. Don't think people would change their gloves that often. And cleaning everything, all the time, so much extra work.
It's lovely being back to work properly, but weird. After keeping away from people for months, I'm surrounded by unmasked customers all evening and handling cutlery and glasses that have been in their mouths.
I don't see how indoor bars and restaurants can really be totally safe and think we'll see a lot more local lockdowns at short notice like Aberdeen.

Some people are so angry & patronising...

@Nearlyoldenoughtowearpurple. You are not wrong. Singing does carry a higher risk. The virus is respiratory 1m/2m/face coverings is all about time & distance...face coverings are to limit the distance droplets travel, the more force in your breath out, the further droplets will transit before falling. So shouting & singing carry a greater risk of passing it on.

People go out for the atmosphere. I just don't really see the point at the moment. If it's a case of sucking it up and having a mediocre time to support local business then that's fine but at the moment it's not the same, and the sad thing is it probably won't be for a while.

We are enjoying that many restaurants are offering carry out that did not before. Lots of gourmet take always. I will not be eating in a restaurant any time

We've just been out for dinner tonight - me, DH and DCs. Had lovely time. Customer details taken, anti bac gel on each table/at entrance, all staff in well fitted masks, plenty of spaces in between tables. Lots of very happy customers, lovely atmosphere, happy restaurant hopefully won't go out of business. Please don't hide away people.. These businesses need us!

I think it’s all perspective.

I am a nurse. I caught Covid early on & have been unwell ever since. Weekly swabs vouch for the fact I am no longer infectious, and yet I feel more unwell as time goes on.

I went away for 3 nights this week with my 8 year old DD. We ate out. It felt perfectly safe & fine to me.

My only confusion is little things. Like why is it OK to all touch the same handgel pump or toilet door handle? Yet you can’t go in shops where you’ll speak to no-one without a mask? Why are people not willing to touch the handle of their supermarket trolley? But they will pick up the same bottle of antibac spray hundreds have picked up before them to sanitise it?

It’s all loopy.

@Perihelion thank you for the job you are doing. Hospitality is the new front line.

It isn’t nonsense. My husband is a singing teacher. He’s ignoring the government advice and is instead following the advice and research from his professional body and scientists/researchers.

It’s nerdy what he’s learnt about vocal folds and aerosols recently.

I really hope everyone feels the same way.

Dont get me wrong, happy for the income but fuck me I am knackered! I have never had a Wednesday (or Mon or Tues for that matter) where I have had to turn away guests. It very rarely happens on a Sunday, thats about it.

We have a 50% off offer when we have at least a third less tables......and me and my staff worked harder than we did on Xmas day today. THankfully the team are exceptional, but I want to sleep for a week.

@CoffeeRunner

I think it’s all perspective.

I am a nurse. I caught Covid early on & have been unwell ever since. Weekly swabs vouch for the fact I am no longer infectious, and yet I feel more unwell as time goes on.

I went away for 3 nights this week with my 8 year old DD. We ate out. It felt perfectly safe & fine to me.

My only confusion is little things. Like why is it OK to all touch the same handgel pump or toilet door handle? Yet you can’t go in shops where you’ll speak to no-one without a mask? Why are people not willing to touch the handle of their supermarket trolley? But they will pick up the same bottle of antibac spray hundreds have picked up before them to sanitise it?

It’s all loopy.

I don’t. I carry my own hand gel with me along with wipes. On the odd occasion o have to use hand gel provided I wipe the container first before touching it. I use tissue paper to pick up trolley spray, or better still, use my own wipes.

I don’t use public toilets. If I have to open a door I make sure I clean my hands afterwards.

Coffee hope you start to feel better soon.

I do agree about the touching thing things, really easy to get in a mess of touch now my hamds are dirty now the gel is dirty how do i do xyz. Tbh this is what worries me about older ecv people if their health is so precarious just making an error of touching and not gelling or going into shops even in a mask could be a big problem.

Surely gels with a foot pump and individual wrapped wipes for your trolly handle?
Toilet door handle not too much issue on way in but some are pull to exit and that is silly really.

@Comefromaway you are doing things sensibly. From what I see day in day out most are not.

It’s absolutely no wonder that the virus is spreading again.

It surprises me how anxious people are about this. The risk is so low currently. I've eaten out loads. Dh has questioned why staff in restaurants, takeaways and shops aren't wearing masks though - anyone know the guidelines on this?

We have been eating out and it is absolute bliss, so fed up of cooking and tidying after a takeaway it feels amazing to be able to just relax and enjoy a meal somewhere other than home. We felt completely safe and I feel completely safe shopping too, love being able to all of these again

Thank god the staff weren't wearing masks, imagine how horrendous that would be for hours at a time.

That is exactly what everyone in my (US) state has been doing since April, if they work in a supermarket.

Everyone who shopped in a supermarket has been doing it since April too.

Why do you think it would be horrendous?

@Titsywoo

It surprises me how anxious people are about this. The risk is so low currently. I've eaten out loads. Dh has questioned why staff in restaurants, takeaways and shops aren't wearing masks though - anyone know the guidelines on this?

I work for a big chain and the guidance is "You can if you want to, but you dont have to"

Mainly I think because our contact with guests is much less than 15 minutes. Its literally, take the drinks over (they take them off a tray so minimal contact for both sides), take the food (using blue roll if the plates are hot and straight in the bin), clear the plates. A person eating out is at more risk from the person they are with from another household than they are from us.

Also, ever worked a 10 hour shift running food? Its hot sweaty work even under normal circumstances, it would be almost impossible to keep up that level of speed and efficiency when wearing a mask that makes your face sweat and breathing more difficult.

We've eaten out for family birthdays a couple of times recently, both in local pubs at fairly quiet times. It felt a bit weird, just because its been such a long time since we've been out, but I can't say I felt unsafe. Both places seemed well organised and to be taking reasonable precautions. I don't think people were as relaxed as they would normally be. There didn't seem to be as much conversation going on and we ate and left more quickly than we would usually do. Little things like the fact that there was nothing on tbe tables, whereas our local usually has little vases of flowers on the tables in the dining area just made everything seem a bit austere somehow. I expect we will get accustomed to all these changes in time, but at the moment everything does still feel a bit odd. Not scary, but not quite "right" yet.

I think gourmet takeaway is a great idea right now.

With handgel you touch the pump then rub your hands so disinfecting them. Am I missing something?

The issue I find with gourmet take away or cooked food express delivery is that the weak Covid safety link is always the unhygienic (usually not saying always or compulsory) delivery driver. Normally unmasked, no gloves and super relaxed in terms of health and safety rules as usually associated with their usual near death motorcycle driving style.

At least when dining out in many restaurants you can see the kitchen and get a general impression of hygiene and general health and safety standards.

Most of the reopened restaurants I have seen have taken over pavements and (part of) roads under new Covid trading ideals with table spacing and staff appropriately masked for reassurance.