After months of closed doors, takeout or dining in tents, restaurants in Umatilla County are bringing diners back indoors for the first time since November 2020.
At the Cozy Corner tavern on Hermistonâs Main Street, Anna Shuttleworth was serving five patrons late Monday afternoon, March 1. The tavern had been completely closed during the prohibition on indoor dining and drinking, and Shuttleworth said she and the other two bartenders are thrilled to be âup and roaringâ again.
âWeâre all here and all excited to be back to work,â she said.
Umatilla Countyâs move from the extreme risk category for COVID-19 to high risk on Friday, Feb. 26, doesnât mean business is back at full throttle for restaurants, but they are allowed to serve patrons at 25% of the buildingâs capacity, with no more than two households and six people to a table and parties spaced at least 6 feet apart. Capacity caps will continue to rise as the county moves down through