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On Friday, Gov. Kate Brown and Oregon Health Authority director Patrick Allen announced that the state could be weeks away from vaccinating 70 percent of residents 16 or older. That number is the goal post for when the state will begin lifting restrictions on businesses and individuals, including indoor mask mandates and capacity limits in restaurants; the state’s projections could have the state reaching those numbers by June 21 or earlier.
This weekend, the Northeast Portland restaurant Nightingale began polling its customers via its Instagram stories. “Are you comfortable dining in a restaurant at full capacity, with no social distancing?” reads one of the restaurant’s slides; 54 percent of respondents said no. 73 percent of respondents to the informal Instagram poll said they would feel more comfortable dining if guests were asked to present their vaccination cards.
The poll illuminates a larger question heading into the months ahead: Even if the state lifts all of its restrictions, how will diners respond? Are Portland diners ready to sit at a crowded bar maskless? Will they feel comfortable in a subterranean dining room, lingering over dessert? It seemed like a good time to re-evaluate Portlanders’ comfort with the prospect of eating indoors once again — especially without a mask. The poll below runs through June 15 at 8 a.m.; note that these poll questions sometimes do not show up on apps like Google AMP or Apple News.
Poll
Would you feel comfortable eating inside a restaurant at full capacity once the state lifts safety protocols?
Poll
Would you feel comfortable dining inside a restaurant at full capacity if the staff checked vaccination cards at the door?
Poll
Do you think restaurants should start checking customers’ vaccination cards before letting them dine in a full-capacity dining room or a vaccinated section?
Poll
Do you think restaurants should check vaccination cards before letting customers enter maskless?
Poll
Would you feel comfortable dining in a restaurant without mask requirements after the state lifts safety restrictions?
• As Oregon nears 70% vaccination rate, Gov. Brown shares reopening plan [KATU]
• Starting May 27, Portland Restaurants Can Waive Capacity Limits in ‘Vaccinated Sections’ [EPDX]
• How Coronavirus Is Impacting the Portland Restaurant World [EPDX]
