Reopening: Solano County Restaurants Prepare For The Return Of Dine-In Meals
FAIRFIELD (CBS SF) -- As of Friday, diners in Solano County can dine out, instead of take out. The county has received a variance from the state to move further into Phase 2 of Gov. Gavin Newsom's reopening plan.
Still, in downtown Fairfield, the restaurants hardly a diner in sight. Customers say they do not know about the new rules and some still prefer to take the food to go.
"To me, I feel it's too soon," said Fairfield resident Jackie Polanco.
Polanco was getting take out from one of the most popular spots in town, Evelyn's Big Italian Pizzeria. Some diners took advantage of the lifted restrictions but for the most part, customers were getting food to go.
"I myself will not eat in a restaurant, at least for a month," Polanco said.
Some restaurant owners in downtown Fairfield also have a tepid response to opening having customers dine in.
For example, Piero Tropeano, the owner of Evelyn's Big Italian Pizzeria, feels it's hard for him to figure out what exactly the state guidelines are.
He thinks it doesn't make sense to bring his staff back, when he has to work at limited capacity.
"I got two extra dining rooms and what am I going to do?," Tropeano said. "Put two tables in one room and three in the other? It's not going to work out."
The Solano County Public Health Department says restaurants should be following the basic social distancing guidelines such as keeping tables 6 feet apart and have employees wear mask.
"If you want to stay open, you really have to adhere these because you don't want to be the source of disease spread and we don't want to cite you, we want you to do it correctl," said Dr. Bela Matyas, the Public Health Officer Solano County.
With the Memorial Day holiday weekend coming up the concern is that more people will be out an about, enjoying their new freedoms but Matyas reminds residents very little has changed about the shelter at home order.
"It's important to keep practicing the stay at home social distancing requirements to protect ourselves from this disease getting out of control," Matyas said.
Another reason the holiday weekend is such a concern, Solano County did saw a cluster of cases over the Mother's Day weekend and the weekend after.
