With federal mask guidelines set to be loosened, will Columbus restaurants be affected?

According to a report from the Associated Press last night, the Biden administration plans to ease up its stance on mask guidelines.

The AP report stated that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention will create new recommendations for mask-wearing that incorporate current caseloads as well as local hospital capitalty.

Under the new guidelines, the majority of Americans will no longer live in an area where wearing a mask is recommended indoors.

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The City of Columbus also said it would ease its own mask mandate soon, while the nearby  City of Bexley has already dropped theirs. According to some local restaurant owners, however, the city’s current indoor mask mandate is rarely enforced, and not often followed.

According to Phil Clary, owner of the Bexley butcher shop Macelleria, many patrons have stopped wearing masks altogether.

“It’s difficult to say if this will change much, honestly,” Clary said. “The majority of people are not wearing masks, even with the mandate. It’s been going on for a while now.”

Wolf’s Ridge owner Bob Szuter agreed. He mentioned his frustration with the lack of enforcement when the businesses like Wolf’s Ridge, which was one of the first local spots to require all of its employees to be vaccinated, were actively trying to maintain customer and employee safety.

“If you’re not going to enforce [the mask mandate], you should take it away. It’s as simple as that,” he said.

If you like this, read: Wolf’s Ridge mandates COVID vaccinations for all employees

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