Going to a Restaurant Will Look Different in California

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday outlined a plan for reopening the state, but he made it clear that even when restaurants are allowed to open their dining rooms again, things won't be the same. The Los Angeles Times reports that new policies will likely include customers having their temperatures taken at the door, servers wearing masks and gloves, single-use menus being handed out rather than the typical reusable ones, and seating being reduced by half so that physical distancing measures can be abided by. "This could become the new normal," Newsom said, per Eater LA.

"This is not about going back to where we were before. It’s about going forward in ways that are healthy for all of us. But it won’t look the same,” said the director of the California Department of Public Health, per NBC Bay Area. The New York Times says California "set the tone on coronavirus shutdowns," and notes that its next moves could similarly resonate across the country. As for when restaurants might start allowing dine-in patrons again, the timeline isn't clear, but Newsom said, per Forbes, that if hospitalizations and ICU admissions continue to decline in the state and progress is being made with regard to testing and tracking COVID-19 cases, he'll revisit the issue in two weeks. (Going to school will also look very different.)