Here is how you can spot the dangers of indoor dining

As part of the initiatives taken to unlock the economy, many cities and states across the country have begun allowing restaurants to open up, although restrictions remain on the number of guests they can seat.

If you’re considering stepping out for a meal at your favourite restaurant, experts suggest, sit outdoors. The risk of coronavirus transmission is lower outdoors than for indoor dining. Before you sit down, take a quick look around. If the management doesn’t seem to be taking things like airflow and masks seriously, public health experts suggest eating somewhere else.

Here are a few more things to look out for:

Crowds standing around the host station or any where else. (Outdoor host stands are a good idea.)

Tables that are too close together. The distance between customers who aren’t seated together should be atleast six feet, although some experts, like Linsey Marr, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech, US, recommend 10 feet.

People who talk when not wearing a mask are a risk. People who talk loudly, shout or sing without a mask are an even bigger risk. Servers who linger at the table or who drop their masks at any time.

However, if you see all the following precautions being observed, stay:

Windows and doors that are open to let in fresh air, portable air purifiers with HEPA filters, movable partitions, although they are not an invincible force, or