Indoor dining capacity limits wreaked their own havoc during the summer

Good news, on  January 6, Governor Walz announced a dialback on COVID-19 restrictions beginning January 11. As reported by the Star Tribune,

Gov. Tim Walz announced the dial-back in the state’s pandemic response on Wednesday, noting that Minnesota’s COVID-19 case rate has fallen below “pre-surge levels” and that bars and restaurants can operate at minimal risk if customers comply with rules that prevent viral transmission.

“The way we help them out is, let’s not let the virus surge again. … By wearing a mask and social distancing, that keeps your local bar and restaurant open. It keeps your school open. It keeps your hospital capacity under” critical levels, the governor said.

Unfortunately, much like the reopening efforts in June, these new rules come with restrictions, which, according to the Governor, will prevent a surge of the virus, making sure that businesses stay open.

But as the data continues to show,  restaurants and other indoor activities have not contributed significantly to case surges, as illustrated by John Phelan. This means that continuing restrictions will continue to wreak havoc on the economy without improving COVID-19 outcomes.

Capacity limits are also damaging

While slightly better than total closures, capacity limits have also wreaked damage.

In September, for example, Surly Brewing permanently closed its destination hall as capacity limits had made the business unprofitable. The summer, which is usually their busiest time of the year, was rather plagued by empty chairs and significantly fewer customers.

Closures were made worse, especially in the winter, when the harsh weather made outside dining impractical.

Multiple restaurants closed temporarily in light of restrictions, as they deemed operating in the winter under capacity limits very restrictive. While a lot of other establishments invested in extending their patio season, a new rule banning outdoor dining introduced by Governor Walz in November made this investment worthless.

What Minnesota needs is a complete reopening and not arbitrary dialbacks that still make it hard to operate.