COVID-19 Manhattan Beach outdoor dining deck use extended due to surge
by Mark McDermott The Manhattan Beach City Council Tuesday night reversed its decision from two weeks ago that required restaurants to take down outdoor dining decks by January 3. Instead, the city will allow the decks for as long as California’s state of emergency is in effect. The reversal came as the Omicron variant rapidly spreads throughout the nation, state, and region, beginning a winter COVID-19 surge that has already begun to decimate local restaurants. Restaurateur Mike Zislis, who owns four downtown restaurants, told the council that he has 40 employees currently out with COVID. “So at the last council meeting, two weeks ago, I think you guys thought COVID was over,” Zislis said. “I now know it’s worse than it’s ever been. We have 40 people out right now. Usually, it’s 4, or 3, 2, 1. We are actually sitting at 40 out today.” Stephanie Stehling, a server at a downtown restaurant, told the council, via Zoom, that she is in quarantine after testing positive this week. She believes she contracted the virus as a customer at a restaurant that didn’t have outdoor dining. “The pandemic isn’t going anywhere, as much as we all would like it to,” Stehling said. “To move to indoor…
Read this story on easyreadernews.com