SEA outlines new safety protocols for airport dining

SEATAC, Wash. — In the C concourse at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Beecher's Cheese is back open.

"I think we were the first food business to reopen in the airport and we do that with a sense of optimism," said founder Kurt Dammeier as he joined a Port of Seattle virtual press conference about new food service safety protocols.

>> RELATED: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport will require all to wear masks

"We're serving up new protocols to keep you safe," said airport director Lance Lyttle.

There are new plexiglass partitions.

Foodservice workers get their temperatures taken, and will soon try scanning machines to make sure they’ve effectively washed their hands.

Dining areas are reconfigured for social distancing.

Condiments and menus are now single-use.

Contact-free mobile food ordering is coming later this year, and the airport is talking with state liquor regulators about allowing people to take alcohol to go.

Employees and passengers are wearing masks.

"We've done a pretty good job of letting people know that masks are required," said port commissioner Sam Cho.

Airport workers remind people of the rules and have masks they can offer.

Airport managers estimate 90% of passengers are complying with the mask requirement.

That will be tested as more people fly.

In April 2019, Sea-Tac saw around 50,000 people a day going through TSA checkpoints.

That dropped to just 2,500 this April.

It inched up to more than 8,000 last week and is projected to rise a bit more.

The port commission is also working on setting up temperature checks for passengers, but officials say they still have a lot of details to work out.

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