COVID-19 Operating Guidance

The restaurant industry is beginning to reopen more fully as the weather warms and vaccination rates rise.

The National Restaurant Association continues to collaborate with safety experts from government organizations, academia, the public health sector, and corporations to bring operators the most up-to-date guidelines to support safe on- and off-premises dining.

As always, the Association intends this document to complement the official guidelines put in place by your state and local authorities.

This updated COVID-19 Operating Guidance builds on the original document and incorporates information from the:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
• American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
• … including the latest guidance concerning cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting, personal hygiene, mask use, health monitoring, social distancing for people and spaces, ventilation, what to do if an employee tests positive, and encouraging employees to get vaccines.

New to this update: The CDC’s newest guidance states that vaccinated people can safely dine indoors and outdoors without face coverings. OSHA, however, still requires that employers protect employees from the risk of virus transmission. Details and link to CDC’s latest guidance are on Page 11.

Also new: The critical importance of TRAINING employees in these practices.

According to FoodCoVNET, of the small number of restaurants that reported COVID-19 outbreaks among staff, 55% had provided no COVID-19 mitigation training to employees.

Well-trained team members are your best defense against community transmission and your fastest route to a quick recovery.

Prepare your staff to protect your business.