New York will become the latest state to drop the mask mandate, when the health measure expires tomorrow. Gov. Kathy Hochul will not be renewing the mandate, which has required all businesses to enforce proof of vaccination or masks indoors.
New York City’s restaurants and bars will not be affected by the new regulations, as they’re still operating under the “Key to the NYC Pass” effected by former Mayor Bill de Blasio in August. Gov. Hochul previously announced plans to keep the state’s ‘Drinks-to-Go’ initiative alive.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced that face coverings would no longer be required in schools, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced he will let some of the state’s mask mandates expire. Connecticut, Delaware and Oregon are expected to follow suit.
The trend away from mask mandates comes as COVID-19 Omicron variant numbers come down across the country, and constituents express their frustration over continued mandates. “Positivity rates down and hospitalizations are down, cases per 100,000 (people) are down and new admissions are down,” said Hochul at a news conference, calling the numbers “tremendous progress after two long year.”
“We’re not done. But this is trending in a very, very good direction, and that is why we are now approaching a new phase in this pandemic,” she said. Gov. Hochul was clear that businesses are still able to make their own policies regarding masks and vaccination requirements.
New York is reporting about 7,000 new cases per day. In early January, at the height of Omicron, that number was over 85,000.
At a press conference at the White House Gov. Murphy noted the main task at hand: how do leaders safely and effectively transition their states from pandemic to endemic, and get people living their lives “normally” again?
It’s also the task presented to bar and restaurant operators. As mask mandates evolve around the country, business owners are once again put into a position of navigating uncertain territory. We’ve all heard the stories of operators being ‘the bad guys’ when it comes to enforcing COVID-19-related safety protocols.
There is no one-size fits all approach here. You have to know your audience, and your staff. What are people comfortable with? What is best for your business may not work for a business across town.
One way to prepare for relaxed mask mandates is to speak with your customers and staff. Hold an open forum, send out emails, ask questions on social media, conduct a survey – find a way to speak directly to your audience and gauge what they’re comfortable with.
After that, it’s a matter of setting clear boundaries and expectations. The worst thing a business owner, or any leader for that matter, can do is be unclear with your protocol. Masked, unmasked, vaccinated, unvaccinated – there will always be people who disagree with your decision as a business owner. But if you know that you’ve done your audience research, and that your policies are in alignment with your staff and their best interest, you can stand by your decision.
If you have questions about setting your own COVID-19 protocols that you would like Bar & Restaurant to cover, email [email protected].
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