Fast- food restaurants to close indoor dining as Delta variant spreads

U.S. fast-food restaurants including McDonald’s Corp are considering to close their dining rooms again as the Delta variant of COVID-19 spreads in the country.

Last week, McDonald’s Corp instructed its franchisees the steps to undertake to close their dining rooms in areas where cases are increasing, reported Reuters.

"We have a much deeper sense of what actions make a difference for the safety of our restaurant teams and crew," McDonald's USA President Joe Erlinger said during a meeting.

In 2020, McDonald’s had closed indoor dining at almost all U.S. locations.

"We’re monitoring the impact of the Delta variant closely and recently convened together with our franchisees to underscore existing safety protocols, reinforce our people first approach and provide updates on the rise in cases in the country," McDonald's Corp said in a statement on Friday.

Coronavirus cases due to Delta variant are rising in U.S. as deaths and cases were up 11% and 3% respectively over the past week nationwide, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday.

PMTD Restaurants had to reduce hours in nearly 40 KFC and Taco Bell restaurants in Alabama and Georgia as many employees got infected with the virus, said Bill Byrd, president of PMTD Restaurants.

Byrd added that Taco Bell would lose late-night customers when closed at 8 p.m. instead of midnight or later, which makes 20% of the business.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Picture Credits: Reuters