最新蜜桃影像

As a center for nightlife and entertainment for young people in D.C., the U St. Corridor is home to the District鈥檚 finest restaurants, bars and clubs. Over the past year and a half, the pandemic has threatened the health and welfare of those working in the service industry. The new COVID-19 variant Omicron has left restaurant workers on U Street questioning why the District鈥檚 mask mandate was ever lifted in the first place.

Omicron has now been , with three cases identified in the greater Washington area of Maryland. No positive cases of Omicron have yet been identified in the District.

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser dropped the District鈥檚 mask mandate earlier in November 鈥� one week before the World Health Organization recognized Omicron as a variant of concern. This week, news of Omicron creeping closer to D.C., combined with an due to COVID-19 this past month, has now prompted the mayor鈥檚 office to re-issue an indoor mask 鈥榬ecommendation.鈥�

According to the CDC, the COVID-19 Omicron variant than the orginial COVID-19 virus, although more research is needed to understand if Omicron will cause more severe illness. While vaccines are expected to protect people from high risk side effects, hospitalization, and death, are expected to occur.

In the wake of Omicron, restaurants enforce mask wearing

最新蜜桃影像 spoke with representatives from Busboys and Poets, Alero, Ben鈥檚 Chili Bowl, and The Smith about how restaurants are grappling news of the new variant, and the new D.C. mask 鈥榬ecommendation鈥�.聽

As for the reason that D.C. doesn鈥檛 have a mask mandate right now 鈥� 鈥淚 don鈥檛 really know why,鈥� said Al Em, the manager of Busboys and Poets on 14th St. NW.聽

In the wake of Omicron, Em said Busboys and Poets is taking mask-wearing seriously, regardless of whether there鈥檚 a mandate to wear a mask indoors. To get booked into the rota, all employees are required to wear a mask on their nose and mouth at all times and also receive complete dosages of the COVID-19 vaccine.

鈥淲别鈥檙e just doing our part though,鈥� said Em. For a company with more than 100 employees spread across its chain, 鈥渨e are one of the few companies that does not have a lot of cases. As far as I know, there鈥檚 been no COVID exposed within Busboys and Poets.鈥�

One block east of Busboys and Poets, upbeat music and colorful banners signal U St.鈥檚 popular Mexican restaurant Alero. Manager of Alero Julieta Hernandez said that the mayor鈥檚 mixed messaging as to whether or not masks should be worn places a safety stressor on restaurant staff.聽聽

鈥淧ersonally, I鈥檓 more worried because we don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 going to happen with Omicron, so it can be more difficult now,鈥� said Hernandez.

With the inevitable first Omicron case awaiting D.C., Hernandez said decisive measures would put the Alero staff more at ease. 鈥淔or me, I鈥檇 prefer it to be mandatory mask,鈥� she said.聽

Safety as a priority 鈥� 鈥楾hank you for your cooperation!鈥�

Ruth Palacios, a hostess from U St. restaurant The Smith, reiterated this sentiment. Even though the D.C. law is not requiring patrons to wear a mask, The Smith is self-enforcing a mask mandate for all people who enter the restaurant.聽

At The Smith, 鈥淲别 always are supposed to have safety as a priority 鈥� safety to our customers, because we don鈥檛 want any customer to get sick,鈥� said Palacios.聽

Outside of the District鈥檚 famous Ben鈥檚 Chili Bowl, a piece of paper triple-taped to the glass door reads: 鈥楳asks must be worn inside at all times unless you are seated dining. Thank you for your cooperation!鈥�

Owner and Manager of Ben鈥檚 Chili Bowl Vida Ali said that while the pandemic was difficult for business, first and foremost, her priority was to protect the safety of the restaurant鈥檚 team members and their guests.聽

鈥淲别 definitely still ask the team to wear a mask, and we ask the guests to wear a mask,鈥� Ali said.聽

It鈥檚 no surprise that the mayor鈥檚 guidelines have changed over time correlating with varying incidence rates of COVID-19, said Ali. But, regardless of the COVID-19 status in the city and messaging from the D.C. Department of Health, the restaurants鈥� philosophy for Omicron has definitively stayed the same as before 鈥� masks required.聽

鈥淚t鈥檚 just making everyone as comfortable and as safe as possible,鈥� she said.聽