How to Dine-out while Wearing a Mask?

As states of all our countries in India and abroad begin to lift stay-at-home orders and restaurants to reopen, one question that strikes amongst several diners is “how can one consume a food while wearing the recommended cloth face covering or face mask?” Masks are now mandatory and are now strictly told everyone to wear very time when leaving a house or any place as long as the COVID-19 long lasts. Even, wearing a mask has been considered one of the fundamental guidelines by the World Health Organization (WHO) in order to protect against COVID-19 pandemic. However, none of us has yet figured out how to eat or drink with a mask on. Few question crosses the mind- “do take it off or pull it up between bites? Any tips or tricks to follow while eating food in a restaurant when mask is on?

Even though, restaurants and hotels in states are taking preventive measures to protect diners, for example; reducing capacity of people inside the restaurant in order to maintain social distancing norms, proper sanitization, digital payment facilities with the motive to avoid contagious disease (Coronavirus Pandemic).

Based on the reports, there were few restaurants that have started with facilitating patrons with a clean bag for storing their masks in while they eat at the restaurant. By including all these stuff in mind, if you do plan to eat in your favorite restaurant, you must carefully take your mask off completely without touching the outside of the mask.

Th e best practice one can own is to reuse the mask before it can be properly cleaned. The other option would be to have a second, cleaned mask that you can put on after eating. Also make sure to wash or sanitize your hands before eating after removing your mask.

It’s also essential to be aware of “how to take off your mask safely as proper use of face masks may contribute in restricting the spread of the virus from an infected person or it might avoid a healthy person from becoming infected. Improper use of mask can cause the opposite.

With the virus causing COVID-19, masks and cloth face coverings should be handled indicating they are contaminated. However, face coverings of face masks must be removed without touching the outside of it or your eyes, nose or mouth. The mask or face covering must be straight away placed with dirty laundry or stored in a plastic bag until they can be cleaned in a proper manner.

Even, people must take care of not touching their eyes, nose or mouth when taking-off the face covering and they should also wash their hands instantly after removing their mask.  

Experts says; face coverings can be an effective means of slowing the spread of infectious agent for various respiratory illnesses and may help slow down the spread of Coronavirus pandemic.

Though, wearing a face covering not completely facilitates protection and does not replace other ways of slowing COVID-19 spread all across.  

Dive-in to the Exclusive Information to Slow Down the Spread

• Maintain good social distancing while staying at home, preventing contact with others and staying at least 6 feet away from people when out in public place or area.

• Wash your hands with soap for 20 seconds and use hand sanitizer most of the times.

• Avoid touching your face (eyes, nose and mouth).

• When selecting and wearing a face mask, the experts says the mask must:

• Fit in well-protected manner but comfortably against the side of your face.

• Be safe and secured with ties or ear loops.

• States multiple layers of fabric.

• Permits for breathing without restriction.

• Be able to be washed and machine-dried with no damage or change its shape.

• Cover your mouth and nose with no space between your face and the mask.

Experts also says;

• Before putting on a mask, every time the covering is touched and instantly after removing the mask, make sure to wash or sanitize your hands.

• When wearing the mask on your face, hold the mask and pinch it at the ear loops or clutch the upper ties. Secure the ear loops behind the ears for ear loop-style masks. Secure the upper ties behind your head first for tie-black-style masks then secure the lower ties behind your head.

• Make sure to fix the similar side of a reused mask against the face.

• Remove the face covering slowly and carefully without touching the outside part of it or the eyes, nose, or mouth.

• By holding the ear loops, remove ear-loop masks.

• While untying the lower ties first and the upper ties last, remove tie-back masks and make sure that the ties don’t fall into the clean, interior side of the mask.

• Place it in bag until it can be laundered if the mask will be used again.

• After each use, wash the cloth mask with regular detergent and warm/hot water, then dry it thoroughly in the dryer.

• It’s even crucial that you don’t wear a mask that hasn’t been cleaned thoroughly or one that is soiled, torn, saturated or the destroyed one.

The Bottom Line 

While removing your mask to eat at the restaurant, don’t just throw it into the depths of your purse or even purse, place it on the table. It is always good to bring a clean, breathable receptacle for your mask such as paper bag, so any moisture that remains on it has time to dry. In this way, you will do needful and will be preventing growth of any mold or fungus on your mask. There are few restaurants or hotels that will facilitate you with a bag, but it’s always safest to bring your own just in case they don’t.

Your friendly waitstaff may give you some guidelines to their preferred mask-wearing manners. Though, it is safe but one you are done with your eating, your mask must go back on your face specifically before the waiter comes to clear your plates and bring you the check.