TAMAQUA, Pa. — The coronavirus has canceled all types of events in our area, and restaurants are faced with the tough reality of trying to maintain business during a hectic time.
Basile's Italian Delight Restaurant near Tamaqua is considered by many to be one of the top spots for diners in the area. During the coronavirus outbreak, it wants to be known as one of the cleanest and safest as well.
"Just as an extra precaution because of what's going on, we are doing the sanitizer before you come in the door, and then spraying down the menus after each, and every customer uses them because we usually do it at the end of the night, but now we're doing it after each, and every customer uses them," said co-owner Paola Basile.
By the entrance of the restaurant is a hand sanitizer station with a note that reads, "Help us keep our restaurant safe for all patrons and employees. Sanitize your hands before entering."
"When you come in, we do that for respect for the people, not just for us," said co-owner Vito Basile.
"I personally and I know a lot of us other waitresses, we do take that precaution. We do wash our hands after touching things, especially if we know someone is sick. We're just doing the extra precautions to make other people feel comfortable and us as well," said," said waitress Tracey Logan.
The coronavirus has hit home for owners Paola and Vito Basile, who are from Italy and have family members living there. That entire country is on lockdown, and according to Worldometer, a website tracking the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 1,000 people in Italy have died from the virus, the second-most of any country in the world behind China.
"They're kind of going crazy because they've been locked up in the house for two weeks, but it's hard because my mother-in-law, she's older, and before she goes out, she kind of has to think about it twice because she's in her 70s and she's probably one of the ones who could mostly be affected by it," Paola added.
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