"The idea of a return to life in public is unnerving enough for many people. But it turns out that one of the biggest obstacles to dining in a restaurant, renewing a doctor’s appointment or going back to the office is the prospect of having to use a public restroom — a tight, intimate and potentially germ-infested space.
It’s a hurdle vexing many business owners as they prepare to reopen in a time of social distancing, reduced capacity and heightened anxiety about the very air we breathe."
. . . .
"The coronavirus has been found in human waste up to a month after a victim has recovered. And a study published last week concluded that droplets from human speaking can hang in the air for at least eight minutes."
. . . .
"Truckers and food delivery drivers have filled social media with accounts of their fruitless search for open restrooms at their usual stops. Some restaurants now limiting their business to takeout service are barring delivery drivers from their bathrooms, erecting walls of tables and chairs to keep people out."
. . . .
"Even police officers are having trouble finding a place to go during their shifts. Coffee shops are closed, and fire stations formerly hospitable to other first responders are taking a newly cautious approach."
