MEMPHIS, Tennessee —
There is not a mandate against gatherings of more than 10 people, but health experts and the White House are recommending against it. The owner of Celtic Crossing said Irish pubs have always been a place of refuge in trying times and he wants people to celebrate the day, but safely.
Sarah Grynkiewicz said she was excited to take part in this tradition and she feels the restaurant maintained safety precautions amid coronavirus.
"It’s a tradition for us to go out for St. Patrick’s Day here, and we’re just trying to be positive and optimistic," Sarah said.
Sarah said this is her "last hurrah" before she isolates due to the virus. She knows it's important to stay a healthy distance from people and not spread any germs.
"There’s definitely not a lot of people here today," Sarah said. "There’s spaces between the tables. We feel safe."
With the sunny weather, the restaurant opened up more outdoor seating so people could have more room between them and not all be inside. The restaurant said it placed tables four to six feet a part, no standing room allowed, and there was a limit to how many people could be there at once.
"You have more room to not bump into each other, and we’re sitting pretty far apart from other people," Sarah said.
David Grynkiewicz said he has been conscious of good hygiene and monitoring the number of Covid-19 cases in Shelby County.
"We wash our hands and try to be very careful," David said. "We keep our distance at the bar. It seems all fine and we weren’t going to let that stop us from coming out, at least enjoy this one day."
He said the staff frequently wiped down tables and there was plenty of soap in the bathrooms. He hopes everyone's using their best judgement.
"It’s going to be a personal call and people’s decisions," David said. "We’re trying to take things as they are going and not panicking too much and you also need to be careful."
The Cooper Young Business Association said restaurants in the neighborhood are offering curbside pickup and takeout, plastic ware, and providing sanitizers for public use. At this time, all restaurants will remain open.