COVID stupidity in MA

CT does (since the "beginning" as well), trust me...it sucks.

 

I could be wrong, but pretty sure that's not the case. If you read the reopening restrictions, it says in order to open food must be available, nowhere does it say people have to buy it. I have been to a few breweries since the re-opening too, and while food was available you were not required to buy it. Breweries are either misreading the rule or implementing their own policies to help out the food truck vendors. (which is fine, but I'm not going anywhere I am forced to buy anything.) Just my two cents.

 

That's a statewide restriction for outdoor events recently imposed. That's not specific to Brookfield.

A really big ask.

You want the state to go business to business approving their operations?

They'll go to investigate if there's a complaint, but otherwise I can't see them doing this. I suppose if a business called THEM and requested them to come by and approve their operations that's one thing...but even that could turn into a shit show if too many businesses request this.

 

Oh. Their social media mentioned the Brookfield Board of Health so I thought it was something specific.

This is more along the lines of what I was suggesting but it's probably not possible.

 

As long as the kids order the nachos as soon as they enter the class, they’ll be good.

 

The nachos have to be prepared on site.

If they’re pre-packaged that won’t work. Recent data from the CDC suggests that pre-packaged food served at restaurants and breweries can cause a 25% increase in Covid transmission. That number climbs to 50% if no food is served at all.

I’d sooner do body shots off a random college student in Florida at a bar before I’d drink a local draft outside by myself at a brewery in MA without ordering food prepared on site first.

 

I only have one question- Black Olives on the nachos or not?

 

Black olives on nachos?! Haven’t the kids been through enough?

 

oh-Just to be clear- I am definitely not a fan of black olives in any circumstance. I am just making sure our fellow BA is well in the head.

 

When the state auditors ask them to show the food item in each bill the brewery tallies, it might not go so well for them

 

I was a HUGE proponent of not having indoor dining open.

But I'm having second thoughts about how dangerous it is, at least given the capacity limits indoors.

It's been two months now and cases have flat lined. 8 weeks is plenty of time for Covid to spread (I've always hated it when people said, "Oh, two weeks have gone by, we're ok!").

Takes longer than two weeks to see how it plays out, maybe 4-6, but 8 is a fairly long time.

 

Why are y'all so anti-food? Are you all supermodels?

 

Sometimes it's just nice to have a drink, y'know?

If the baseline is buying food in addition to beers, that may mean a budget-conscious person who would stop by a given brewery once/week will only go once every 2 weeks. Just one more thing for a small business to overcome when we should be making it as desirable as possible for people to visit.

Fortunately here in RI there is no food order like MA and the breweries can invite food trucks at their leisure to accommodate hungry patrons, but at least each person can make that decision and aren't force-fed.

 

Wait until schools open and see if we can clear that potential surge in cases before making any decisions on a broader opening. If we can get into the second half of September without a spike, then I'm also in favor of a broader opening, with masks and distancing still strictly enforced.

 

I'm not super familiar with exactly what's been happening in MA, but indoor dining has been green lit for 8 weeks and there's no spikes? And is there any data on whether restaurants are operating at (their newly limited) capacity, or if people are still shying away?

 

It’s probably a bit of both. I know the 99 restaurant we drive by everyday usually has a ton of cars out front and no one is dining outside so I assume they are inside. And then there are people like my wife and I who won’t eat indoors right now.

 

The "strictly enforced" bit is key. I assume there are places that are more serious about it than others. Unfortunately, I have not been anywhere where distancing and mask wearing have been anywhere near strictly enforced. I won't eat inside anywhere--I've done outdoor seating, but only a couple of times. And what I've seen even there is not encouraging. I would say most people seem to be pretty good about wearing masks, etc., but I have seen far too many hardos strutting around maskless. I even saw a guy at a liquor store walking around with a big grin on his face like he was hot shit because he didn't have a mask on. Not one employee or customer said a thing to the guy. And sadly, he didn't look like the type of guy who should be talking chances with his health.