DC indoor-dining ban goes into effect Wednesday at 10 pm, mayorâs office says
By Ike Ejiochi and FOX 5 DC Digital Team
PublishedÂ
DC banning indoor dining
Restaurant industry sources tell FOX 5 DC that the District is expected to announce a pause on indoor dining due to COVID-19 concerns. The announcement could come as early as today and take effect by Wednesday, Dec. 23.
The pause will go into effect Wednesday, Dec. 23 at 10 p.m. and will last until Jan. 15 at 5 a.m.
The mayor s office also announced a number of other restrictions it would put in place to slow the novel coronavirus, including:
From D.C. hospitality workers who were laid off during the pandemic will get right of first refusal for their old jobs under legislation approved by the D.C. Council. Johnny Silvercloud/Flickr
toggle caption Johnny Silvercloud/Flickr
Many employers in the hospitality industry will soon be required to send job offers to workers they laid off during the pandemic as their jobs become available again, under legislation that passed a final vote in the D.C. Council today.
The Displaced Workers Right to Reinstatement and Retention Amendment Act was approved by the council unanimously despite pressure from the restaurant industry to vote down the bill. The measure, backed by the labor union UNITE HERE! Local 25, passed unanimously on an initial vote earlier this month, but the version that passed Tuesday contained significant amendments that respond to concerns from the industry.
This post has been updated with new information from the Restaurant Association.
Winter Restaurant Week is moving forward around DC though a little later than planned. The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington announced an extended two-week promotion from January 25 through February 7 a week later than originally planned “given the fluid nature of activities and regulatory measures tied to Washington, DC’s current State of Emergency affecting the region,” according to RAMW president Kathy Hollinger. In addition to roadblocks and intense security around the inauguration following the mob attacks last week, Mayor Muriel Bowser is likely to announce an extension of DC’s indoor dining ban through January 24.