The restaurant shutdown does not always extend to takeout and delivery service. So the restaurants in major cities, from New York to Miami to San Francisco, ordered to shut down their dining rooms have done so, putting their employees at the top of the list of service workers who are being hurt by the economic slowdown, Parrott said.
But many restaurants, such as those in Seattle, are still offering take-out and delivery options, Gomez said. He encouraged ordering from these community restaurants that you otherwise wouldn't eat at to help the economy. Of course, he added, make sure you're ordering take-out safely.
Stephen Morse, an epidemiologist at Columbia University, told The Atlantic's Amanda Mull that food from a restaurant is not likely to infect you with coronavirus. "Cooked foods are unlikely to be a concern unless they get contaminated after cooking," he said, adding that "as long as the food is handled properly, there should be very little risk."
While coronavirus can be transmitted through objects — like a take-out carton — the most important way it's transmitted is "respiratory droplets," Morse said. Mull reported that you should continue, as always, to wash your hands before eating.
Coronavirus has also spurred the rise of contactless delivery by delivery apps such as Postmates and DoorDash. And Grubhub has launched the Grubhub Community Relief Fund, where you can donate change to charitable organizations that support drivers and restaurants during the coronavirus outbreak.