Editorials
Fish dinner with a side of COVID-19? Fresno restaurant owner risks our public health
Dave Fansler is passionate about serving fresh fish at his Pismo’s Coastal Grill restaurant in northeast Fresno.
He is equally committed to keeping its dining room open during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent order that Fresno County restaurants could only provide outdoor dining for patrons — no indoor seating.
Newsom reinstituted the closure of indoor dining spaces after weeks of rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in the county, as well as state. As of Tuesday morning, the state has had 271,000 confirmed cases and 6,300 deaths. As of Monday, Fresno County had 6,599 cases and 78 deaths.
More troublesome, California’s strong effort to flatten the pandemic’s curve in the spring has vanished in the increasing caseload that began over Memorial Day weekend as the governor allowed stores and restaurants to start reopening.
Fansler also owns Westwoods BBQ and Yosemite Ranch. He kept Pismo’s and Westwoods open over the July 4 holiday weekend — and earned five citations from various government agencies over the last week as a result.
Then came news Monday that an employee at the restaurant tested positive for COVID-19. Fansler said the worker “for sure” did not catch it inside the restaurant. Temperature scans of the employee did not show any sign of infection, Fansler said, and the worker had a mask. That person is now isolating for two weeks.
Windows the key
Why has Fansler taken a defiant stance? Because he thinks the windows he can open at Pismo’s allow it to function like an open-air establishment.
The restaurant features 84 feet of large roll-up windows on two sides of the building. Fansler says the windows are wide open whenever the restaurant is operating.
In addition, Fansler told Bee staff writer Bethany Clough the air conditioning is on. Workers are wearing face masks and gloves, sanitizing constantly and standing 6 feet away from customers. “I think it’s for sure one of the safest dining environments in the city,” he said.
Not an expert
While Fansler might be knowledgeable about fish, clams, oysters and mussels, he is not an epidemiologist, nor does he have expertise in aerosols — the tiny particles of matter that float in the air, too small to be seen. Among them are the coronavirus.
So Fansler cannot really say for sure that his restaurant is completely safe to dine in, windows open or not.
One person who does not think so is Dr. Rais Vohra, the acting county health officer. What Fansler is doing at Pismo’s is still indoor dining, at least for now, Vohra said Monday.
Then there is the fact of the Pismo’s staffer testing positive. When that happens, there are repercussions, like closure. City Council President Miguel Arias’ son tested positive for the virus; City Hall was closed down and deep cleaned. The state Capitol was closed when some staff were discovered to have the virus.
Widespread frustration
The frustrations of restaurateurs this year are understandable. Closures occurred in March as the pandemic began accelerating in the U.S. Fresno shut down all businesses not deemed essential; restaurants could only provide to-go meals, at a fraction of the business normally done.
When it looked like Newsom might allow reopenings, owners like Fansler got their establishments cleaned and set up for social distancing, and trained the staff on how to interact with customers — masks a must.
Fansler believes Pismo’s is much safer than competitors, and he lists off other establishments that he feels should also be cited. The city, he says, is unfairly targeting him.
Actually, of the 1,300 restaurants in Fresno, only three had been cited for violations before Pismo’s situation developed. The majority of restaurant owners are complying with government orders.
Significant event
The fact is this pandemic is a once-in-100-years event. The last time America experienced such a disease was the Spanish flu of 1918.
Fansler is a business owner who wants to run his business. Yet by doing that as he is now, he is at cross-purposes with what health experts recommend. The more he keeps his indoor seating in place, the greater risk of infections, and the more the pandemic is prolonged.
Fansler is choosing to ignore the science, believing he knows better. He does not, and thus he will earn whatever citations come his way. He should close down his so-called “fresh air” seating until county health officials say it is safe to reopen. Takeout only is not ideal, but it is the reality of life in 2020
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