NPR

Restaurants Are Welcoming Back Diners, But Say Mask Rules Have Them Relying On Trust

The National Restaurant Association is recommending to its members that employees continue to wear masks until the government clarifies how the guidance applies to a requirement to keep workers safe.
A staff member wearing a mask serves customers at a restaurant in San Mateo, Calif., on May 17.

Restaurants are among the countless businesses trying to chart next steps given the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that it's OK for fully vaccinated people to go unmasked outdoors and indoors.

The last week, and restaurateurs, who have struggled to stay above water and protect workers since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, were surprised and confused, says Larry Lynch, senior vice president of science and industry at the National Restaurant Association. As lift or amend their mask mandates, businesses like restaurants and bars have been

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