McDonald’s Is Halting Dining Room Reopenings as Virus Cases Rise Again

A McDonald's restaurant in a file photo. Illustration - Shutterstock

McDonald’s announced it will pause the reopening of its dine-in service for three weeks as the number of CCP virus cases continues to rise across the United States.

“Our resiliency will be tested again. Covid-19 cases are on the rise,” McDonald’s U.S. president Joe Erlinger and Mark Salebra, chair of the National Franchisee Leadership Alliance, both said, according to Reuters and CNBC. “This surge shows nobody is exempt from this virus—even places that previously had very few cases.”

According to CNBC, about 2,200 McDonald’s dining rooms are open across the country. The majority of McDonald’s restaurants in the United States will remain open for drive-thru, takeout, or delivery.

“To be clear: owner/operators will make the final decision in these situations,” they wrote.

The news comes as some states and cities have rolled back some reopening plans as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in parts of the United States. On Wednesday, Vice President Mike Pence said that half of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus cases have been reported in four states: Florida, California, Texas, and Arizona.

“Roughly 50 percent of all the new cases are taking place in four states,” Pence said at a news conference in Maryland. He added that the White House pandemic task force is “particularly focusing on the four states that are generating the majority of the cases which, of course, are California, Arizona, Texas, and Florida.”

The COVID Tracking Project said that about 50,000 cases of the virus were reported on Wednesday, which is “another new record.” It added, “The 7-day average was almost unchanged at 520.”