Texas, Mississippi, and Massachusetts are reopening dining rooms at 100 percent capacity, reports Restaurant Dive. Texas Governor Greg Abbot issued an executive order that, in addition to increasing capacity of businesses and facilities to 100 percent, also removes that state’s mask mandate, effective March 10. Mississippi has also increased capacity and removed the mask mandates on March 3.
Massachusetts is allowing dining rooms to fully open on March 8, with some restrictions, like masks and social distancing, still in practice. In addition, Louisiana has begun to allow dining rooms to reach 75 percent capacity.
Governors site declines in average daily COVID-19 cases and hospitalization rates, as well as vaccine access, as reasons to cut back restrictions. However, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. CDC, warns that loosening restrictions could stall progress.
"Please hear me clearly: At this level of cases with variants spreading, we stand to completely lose the hard-earned ground we have gained," said Walensky, during a White House press briefing. Full Story
Related: US House Passes Restaurant Relief; Report: Workers Report Declining Tips After COVID Surcharge.