The new policies are as follows:
1) Pre-orders are strongly suggested.
2) Patrons may only come in and exit at one point now - you will enter on one side and exit on the other side of the INFO TENT. We will have it marked in chalk- the Wilson Lane entrance will be locked and you will not be able to enter or exit at the end of the market where the pizza and crepe stand is located. There will be a security guard at that end.
3) Only 25 patrons will be welcomed into the market at any one time. When one person leaves another patron will be allowed in.
4) Please only have one member of the family enter the market unless you have a small child with you.
5) Patrons will only have 15 minutes to get their items.
6) Only 1 patron at a time at a stand or at a cash register (if there is more than one cash register) and patrons waiting in line will have to stand 6' apart.
7) We strongly suggest that you wear masks and gloves for your protection and ours.
8) We love dogs too, but at this time patrons may not enter the market with their dogs. We have asked this for three weeks and now we are not going to let you in if you bring your dog. You are more than welcome to attach their leash to the chain link fence while you shop.
An elderly man waiting in line behind me to enter the Bethesda Central Farm market this Sunday morning was told that he couldn't enter the market without purchasing a mask there, so contrary to the official policies outlined in this post, wearing a mask is mandatory, not merely strongly advised. When I turned around, he had left the line. Fascism here we come. I bet fewer people will be shopping at the farm market as a result of these restrictions, so the vendors will suffer a loss of revenue.
ReplyDeleteEven if it could be established that these measures would reduce the risk of infection, they were instituted a month too late to matter at this point. If there was a high risk of infection from shopping at an outdoor market, the number of infections would have spiked by now. Unbelievable stupidity.