SALISBURY, Md. - Tension is brewing between restaurant owners and the Wicomico County Health Department as the county sees an uptick in the COVID-19 positivity rate.
Wicomico health officials say almost 25% of positive cases in the county have come from restaurant workers. Restaurants know precautions must be taken, but owners say they have to stay open to stay afloat.
Restaurants need to stay creative amid COVID restrictions, but even that might not be enough going forward. Shirley Horne at Goin' Nuts Cafe has been setting outdoor tables for months now.
"I hope that we can overcome this, and I hope all the restaurants can, and I know that we're not the only industry suffering right now, but the restrictions are very very tough," Horne said.
In a Zoom call Thursday, Wicomico Health Department Officer Lori Brewster reminded restaurant owners that COVID restrictions must be followed if the county is to see an improvement.
Ryan Camarena at La Tolteca says his restaurant will do whatever is needed.
"Definitely everybody is concerned about their health, you know, being safe during everything that's going on, and we'd hate to see more restrictions placed on restaurants. I definitely don't wish it happens, but if it has to happen, then we'll do whatever we need to do to, you know, stay up and survive," Ryan said.
But that positive attitude is hard for all businesses to share. Peter Roskovich with Adam's Taphouse Grille worries what the future holds.
He said, "The hard fact is if we don't get a catering Christmas season, we will not be here in January. And if we don't have that, I'm not the only restaurant going out. You're gonna have a town full of empty restaurants."
As the county clamps down on COVID-19, restaurateurs hope for the best. In the meantime, the health department says it will closely monitor the numbers, and only ease up on restrictions when it seems safest to do so.