Covid protocols

After Weeks of Prohibition, This is What Los Angeles Restaurants are Facing

by David Klemt

Limited to delivery and takeout for several weeks, Los Angeles restaurants and breweries may now offer outdoor dining.

Of course, that easing of restrictions comes with a raft of new limitations.

The outdoor dining ban was lifted last Friday, January 29. Governor Gavin Newsom rescinded California’s statewide stay-at-home order four days prior, January 25.

Operators, still caught firmly in the vortex of opens, closures and ever-shifting restrictions, will have to weigh the potential to generate in-person dining revenue against limitations and costs.

Outdoor dining capacity of restaurants, breweries and wineries (able to open for outdoor tastings) is restricted to 50 percent. Even an operator with a significant outdoor footprint may find the revenue generated from in-person dining incapable of offsetting associated costs.

Speaking of footprint, operators must also contend with new distance requirements. Outdoor tables must now be spaced a minimum of eight feet apart to ensure guests aren’t seated back to back. This increase from six feet must be measured from the edges of each table.

Any employee who “may come in contact” with a guest is required to wear a face mask and a face shield for the duration of such an interaction, which can’t include tableside preparations.

No live entertainment is permitted, and televisions must remain turned off. Couple the television ban with a prohibition on “coordinated, organized or invited events or gatherings” and Super Bowl parties are clearly not permitted.

Additional limitations pertain to guests and group size. No more than six people may be seated at a table, and each guest must be a member of the same household. Signage informing guests of the household requirement must be posted, and guests must also be given this information verbally.

A “household” in Los Angeles County is defined as “persons living together as a single living unit.” Click here for the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health’s “Protocol for Restaurants, Breweries and Wineries: Appendix I.”

According to Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County health director, operators can expect increased scrutiny and enforcement of Covid-19 protocols.

Evidence of enhanced enforcement efforts was seen last week. LA County filed two suits on January 27 against Cronies Sports Grill in Agoura Hills and Tinhorn Flats in Burbank for failing to adhere to health directives. Both suits label the establishments as “public nuisances.”

Some Los Angeles operators may find limited outdoor dining better than no in-person dining at all. However, others may conclude that labor and PPE costs alone aren’t worth restricted reopening, to say nothing of contending with increased governmental scrutiny.

Image: David Mark from Pixabay

Current Restaurant, Bar and Travel Restrictions: Eastern Caribbean

by David Klemt

KRG Hospitality has turned hospitality industry visions into reality throughout the Eastern Caribbean for several years.

We’ve reviewed and gathered the current Covid-19-based travel and operator restrictions for Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands, St. Martin and Sint Maarten to help current operators and those considering taking the next steps in their journey toward opening their own businesses.

To book a 15-minute introductory call to discuss your project and how we can help you realize your vision, click here.

Puerto Rico

Earlier this month, Governor Pedro Pierluisi revised Puerto Rico’s Covid-19 protocols.

Travel Requirements

Complete travel declaration and:
arrive with proof of a negative (molecule-based) Covid-19 test; or
self-quarantine (at traveler’s expense) either 14 days or the duration of your trip, whichever is shorter.
While in Puerto Rico, travelers must:
- wear a mask at all times when in public;
- wash hands frequently;
- wipe down high-touch surfaces;
- practice social distancing; and
- keep track of and minimize places visited and interactions with people.

Requirements

Island-wide curfew from 11:00 PM to 5:00 AM.
Hotels: Common areas closed from 11:00 PM to 5:00 AM.
Restaurants: Limited to 30-percent capacity.
Bars and Discos: Closed.
Movie theaters and casinos: Limited to 30-percent capacity.
All businesses must close by 10:00 PM.

Recommendations

Reservations for restaurants visits.

US Virgin Islands

The Virgin Islands Department of Health has provided incredibly detailed guidance for restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Click here for the full details. The USVI include the main islands of Saint Croix, Saint John, and Saint Thomas, and several so-called “minor” islands.

Travel Requirements

All air and sea travelers to the US Virgin Islands five years of age or older are required to use the USVI Travel Portal and submit a Covid-19 test before travel. This includes anyone in-transit to another destination.
- Acceptable tests: COVID-19 molecular from a nasal or throat or saliva swab, COVID-19 antigen (rapid) test from a nasal or throat swab, Covid-19 antibody finger stick or blood draw.
Travelers who originate in the USVI and return to the territory, including those who return within a five-day period, are required to take a Covid-19 test before returning or have proof of a positive antibody test result within the previous four months.

Requirements

All restaurant, bar and nightclub employees reporting for work must be screened for Covid-19 using this questionnaire.
Employers can either conduct temperature checks onsite with a no-touch thermometer or employees may check their temperatures before arriving at the workplace and have the results verified by management onsite. Temperatures should not exceed 100.3 degrees Fahrenheit.
Employees and guests must wear masks at all times unless eating or drinking.
At the minimum, ask guests the following questions before allowing entry:
- Have you been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19?
- Are you experiencing a cough, shortness of breath or sore throat?
- Have you had a fever in the last 48 hours?
Capacity is limited to 50 percent (as defined by Business License or the Fire Marshall) or 100 guests, whichever is fewer.
Space tables and barstools six feet apart.
No more than six guests may be seated at the same table.
Serving alcohol at bar counters is prohibited.
Guests picking up takeout orders must wait outside until their order is ready.
The sale of alcohol between 11:00 PM and 8:00 AM by all restaurants and establishments with a Tavern Keeper A or Tavern Keeper B license is prohibited.
Restaurants must remain closed between the hours of midnight and 6:00 AM.
All bars and nightclubs are permitted to operate only for seated service.
Cabarets remain closed.
Last call for bars and nightclubs—without exception—is at 11:00 PM.
Guests of bars and nightclubs are required to wear masks unless seated at their designated table.
Live music and DJs must cease performances at closing time: Midnight.

Recommendations

Whenever possible, require reservations for visits and deliveries.
If possible, prioritize curbside pickup and takeout over in-person dining.

British Virgin Islands

The BVI, which consist of Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, and Jost Van Dyke and more than 50 smaller islands and cays, were closed for nine months before reopening to travelers on December 1, 2020. The Government of the Virgin Islands, however, imposed a travel ban on anyone travelling from the United Kingdom and the Dominican Republic to the BVI effective January 11.

Travel Requirements

Travelers must start their application no later than 48 hours before travel.
Applications on the BVI Gateway portal must be completed a minimum of 24 hours before travel date and time.
All applicants who are in “pending” status and haven’t completed their necessary requirements 24 hours prior to travelling will be denied entry.
Travelers must have proof of negative Covid-19 PCR test taken within 5 days prior to day of travel and proof of medical insurance that includes coverage for Covid-19.
Visitors are required to quarantine for four days on the property of their approved accommodations or at their own home. Arrival day is considered day zero.
Air travelers: Visitors can arrive at the Terrance B. Lettsome Airport (EIS) on Tortola.
Sea travelers: Visitors can arrive at Road Town Ferry Terminal.

Requirements

As of January 28, a curfew is in place from 2:01 AM to 4:59 AM daily until February 11. Businesses are permitted to operate between the hours of 5:00 AM to 2:00 AM daily if they’ve been inspected and approved by the Social Distancing Monitoring Task Force and certified by the Environmental Health Division.
Gold Seal Professional Level Certification: A nine-hour training course (three hours over three days) that incorporates COVID-19 training and professional-level hospitality service training required for front-line personnel across all hospitality industry sectors, specifically front desk representatives, guest room attendants, restaurant servers and kitchen cooks.

St. Martin and Sint Maarten

This 37-square-mile island has two sides, the St. Martin (the French) and Sint Maarten (the Dutch).

Travel Requirements

All travelers arriving by air must complete Electronic Health Authorization System (EHAS) application.
As of January 27, 2021, all travelers embarking in Aruba are required to submit a negative rt-PCR test within 72 hours before departure to Sint Maarten (until further notice)
As of February 12, 2021, the rt-PCR test time frame will be reduced from 120 to 72 hours, before departure to St. Maarten for all travelers originating from a high-risk country (last leg in case of connecting flights).
Travelers arriving via sea from a low-risk country are exempt from Covid-19 testing.
Travelers arriving via sea from a moderate- to high-risk country must complete an rt-PCR test 120 hours prior to departure from last port (must be the immediate last departure point).

Requirements

Restaurants, bars and nightclubs must close by midnight. This applies to the Dutch side of St. Maarten as well.
Casinos on the Dutch side must close by 2:00 AM.
No more than 6 people may be seated at any given table.
Tables and contact surfaces must be thoroughly disinfected with an antiviral product.
It is mandatory for staff and customers to wear a mask when moving around.

Last updated: January 28, 2021. Please note that Covid-19 guidance, restrictions and protocols are subject to swift change. One should monitor their jurisdictions for the latest updates.

Image: Colin Chong on Unsplash