McDonald’s again eying closure of indoor seating as COVID-19 cases rise: report

McDonald’s is reportedly discussing steps to again close dining rooms in areas where COVID-19 cases are rising, driven by the delta variant.

Reuters noted that McDonald’s closed indoor dining in almost all of its locations early last year, and was on track to reopen nearly all of them by Labor Day, barring resurgences in cases.

But in a conference call last week, company executives recommended franchisees think about closing indoor dining in areas where COVID-19 cases exceed 250 per 100,000 people on a rolling three-week average, according to the news service.

In a statement, McDonald’s said that company officials are monitoring the delta variant’s impact in their business and recently talked with franchisees about it. 

“As much as we want to be done with COVID, we must accept that COVID isn’t done with us. The Delta variant is biting deeply into the country’s progress. For the first time since February, the U.S. is averaging more than 130,000 new cases a day,” McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger said on the call, according to the company.

“What’s different for us is that we have a much deeper sense of what actions make a difference for the safety of our restaurant teams and crew,” Erlinger added. 

McDonald’s has seen a jump in sales with indoor dining, Reuters noted. 

The news service noted PTMD Restaurants President Bill Byrd said that hours have been cut at 40 KFC and Taco Bell restaurants in Alabama and Georgia due to staffers testing positive for the virus.

–Updated at 1:31 p.m.