Coronavirus: should you stop going out to restaurants?

Measures are becoming more and more strict to try and prevent the spread of the coronavirus in France. While the number of cases is increasing every day, President Emmanuel Macron asked the most vulnerable French people to stay at home, encouraged working from home, and asked everyone to travel only if necessary.

One's daily life must, therefore, be organised to try and limit the risk of contamination. Among everyone's usual activities are going out to restaurants and bars. Should eating out and ordering food be stopped for now? Let's take a look.

In Belgium, restaurants and cafés are closed

Just like in France, Belgium has taken actions regarding the closure of public spaces. All gatherings have been cancelled, regardless of their size and nature, according to Belgian Minister Sophie Wilmès. These measures apply to all three regions until the 3rd of April, in order to avoid situations such as in Italy.

What about French restaurants?

In France, the situation is becoming increasingly complicated and restaurants have now been closed, causing owners to be concerned regarding the future of their businesses.

Is going out to a restaurant really dangerous?

It all depends. It should be remembered that situations, where people gather in a confined space, are always risky. Moreover, in restaurants, there is a lot of contact with people via certain objects: door handles, menus, sauce containers and salt and pepper shakers... Hygiene and vigilance must be increased, but there is no such thing as zero risk.

As far as kitchens are concerned, whether, for restaurants with on-site service or delivery chains, kitchens are strengthening hygiene practices. Delivery services are trying to reassure their customers and explain that staff must wash their hands every 30 minutes and that cleaning schedules have been increased. It will soon be possible to opt for a contactless delivery service where delivery staff leave orders at the door, which is quite reassuring!

In conclusion

Going out to restaurants or bars is still a situation that is conducive to contamination, but it is possible to do so without problems by maintaining good hygiene. If you are going outdoors, choose restaurants and bars with airy areas and well spaced-out tables. You can also check with the staff to see what measures are being taken to reassure yourself. Finally, choose good quality restaurants and avoid places whose cleanliness seems questionable.