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Local restaurants consider COVID-19 protocols as cases rise again

Just as things were looking up, many restaurants are having to reimplement COVID-19 protocols, and some are going further than others.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — COVID-19 cases are rising once again in the Midlands and many businesses are having to adjust.

News 19 spoke with restaurants about what protocols they're considering just when they thought they were in the clear.  

“Just in the last ten business days, we’ve seen a turndown from where we were," said Mike Davis, owner and lead chef of Terra in West Columbia. 

In 2020, Davis along with other restaurants across the state were limited in capacity, implementing new cleaning measures and doing the best they could to keep their doors open. 

RELATED: More South Carolina restaurants masking up as Delta variant surges

For a while this year, things were starting to look up. “April, May, June were our three busiest back-to-back-to-back months ever in our 15-year history at Terra, so business has been really good," Davis says. 

But with COVID-19 cases rising again, both across the state and nationwide, many are having to reevaluate, including two Columbia restaurants: Lula Drake Wine Parlour, which closed for 16 months, and il Focolare Pizza, which won’t reopen until September. Both are requiring proof of vaccination for their indoor diners, according to their social media posts.

The South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association advised in a post on its Facebook page to 'make sure you prepare for legal and logistical ramifications before you enforce a proof of vaccination policy,' and posted an article with helpful information.

Before you ask for proof of vaccination, be aware of and prepare for legal and logistical ramifications to enforce the...

Posted by SC Restaurant & Lodging Association on Friday, August 13, 2021

While many large cities in the country are heading in that direction, Mike Davis at Terra isn’t ready to go that far. What everybody does with their business is their decision. I respect their decision to do that, but I don’t want to get to that point just yet.”

Davis is planning on talking with his staff about vaccination and getting back on the more 2020-like protocols around the restaurant. “If it gets to the point a couple of months down the road and the whole thing blows up again, then that could be the way of the future," Davis continues, "Not just for us but for everybody.”

Unfortunately, with this subject becoming more divisive, many restaurants did not want to discuss it with us. 

RELATED: 'Service will never be what it once was': Local businesses still struggling to hire staff

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