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woman is also wearing a protective mask.
Should restaurant customers be wearing masks at drive-through windows? —Sam S., St. Louis
For the past six months, health officials across the country have encouraged Americans to wear a mask or face covering when in public to help curb the spread of COVID-19, with varying degrees of success.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that face masks be worn in public when 6-foot social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, but it says nothing specific about restaurant drive-throughs or, for that matter, curbside pickup situations, in which handing off bags of food encroaches on the 6-foot rule.
Following the rule of common sense, masks should therefore be worn in both of the above examples. Some state agencies, such as the Illinois Department of Public Health, do specifically mandate that drive-through customers should mask up.
The same logic should be extended, then, to customer behavior at restaurant tables, be they indoors or out. If the customer is conversing with a staffer, manager, or another customer, I opine that masks should be used for the same reasons mentioned above.
The state of Illinois spoke to that issue as well. Effective August 26, restaurant and bar patrons in the state must wear masks anytime that they interact with staff, not just when physically eating and drinking. If you think about it, it is the same courtesy that one affords employees in other retail environments.
Dr. Alex Garza, head of the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force and chief medical officer of SSM Health, says: “If it is merely passing credit card and food back and forth with a significant distance between the window and the car and minimal contact time, then there’s a minimal risk of transmission. With sustained, close-up contact comes more risk. I am also assuming that the food service worker is wearing a mask as well. Other things to consider: Elderly persons, people with chronic medical conditions, or anyone with a higher risk of contracting COVID would want to take every precaution possible, including wearing a mask. Personally, I think it makes sense to just put the mask on as you are getting food in the drive-through. Is it the riskiest move not to have a mask on? No, but why take the chance? The barrier is low; the payoff is high.”
Kim Vanden Berg, Public Information Officer, City of St. Louis Department of Health: "The Department of Health recommends a person wear a facial covering during any instance when they are not able to maintain at least six (6) feet distance between themselves and others who do not live in their household. Physical distancing and face coverings are important measures to slow and prevent the spread of COVID-19."
Sara Dayley, Digital and Media Relations, Saint Louis County Department of Public Health: Since customers "will be within 6 feet of someone not from their same household, the driver should be wearing a face mask when pulling up to the window."
We also asked area restaurant owners with drive-through windows to weigh in. Among the answers:
Nachomama’s co-owner John St. Eve: “As cumbersome and awkward as masks are, I feel that they should be worn at the drive-through. I do think most customers expect it and, on a technical level, the air is usually blowing into the building, which reinforces the argument that the driver be wearing a mask.”
Yolklore co-owner Mary Bogacki: “Discussing comfort levels with our staff, they said they felt more protected if customers were wearing masks, so we require face masks to be worn in our drive-thru, and most every customer is happy to oblige. That said, I feel it to be an extremely low risk of transmitting the virus in a drive-through, considering all of the information we know of how it spreads and the amount of time it takes to transfer the virus. What’s most important, though, is the safety of our staff and guests along with what makes them feel comfortable when interacting with each other. We also wanted to be community examples in the support of wearing a mask and holding ourselves accountable for the safety of others. This policy is a small action to ensure just that.”
Lion’s Choice president and CEO Mike Kupstas: “I wear a mask out of respect for the drive-through workers who are wearing one to protect us. And I would encourage guests to wear a mask when utilizing any drive-through. I know it makes our team members more comfortable about the transaction when a car approaches and the driver is masked. We perform temperature and safety/health checks at the start of everyone’s shift. One thing we focus on during that conversation is the value of wearing a mask and how everyone needs to wear one to maximize its benefits. That said, it’s difficult to mandate mask-wearing at the drive-throughs, which is why, where feasible, we installed plexiglass shields at face level to add a layer of protection.”
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