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Memphis restaurants want, and need, you to eat their food via takeout or delivery during coronavirus outbreak

Mayor Strickland orders restaurants to close dine-in eating option to help with social distancing to try to combat spread of COVID-19

MEMPHIS, Tennessee —

In Thursday’s Ransom Note: tough choices.

A true test of leadership is making choices you know won't be popular, and Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland knew telling his city's restaurants and bars to close their doors isn't popular, but it is the right call.

We know the denser a city's population, the faster the virus spreads. Take New York. Now that the city is finally getting more tests after an inexcusable delay, its cases doubled overnight. Hospitals say they'll run out of needed supplies in a couple of weeks.

So Thursday Mayor Strickland decided that since we've learned how social distancing works better the sooner it's enacted, why wait another day?

I feel for the restaurant owners I know, really worried they can't survive on takeout and delivery service alone. I really feel for the food service workers and bartenders whose fortunes changed almost overnight through no fault of their own.

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So let's support the restaurants which are still cooking. Order takeout or delivery. Never has putting food on your table been more crucial in helping others put food on theirs.

Join the conversation by email (rransom@localmemphis.com) or my Facebook and Twitter pages.

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