OpenTable reports restaurant dining down 42 percent amid coronavirus outbreak

OpenTable, an app that provides reservation services to nearly 60,000 restaurants in seven countries, reports restaurant reservations have dropped 42 percent in the U.S. since this time last year.

The coronavirus pandemic is causing a steep decline in people eating out, with numbers dropping rapidly over the past week. President Trump declared a national emergency over the virus on Friday.

In Seattle, one of the hardest-hit cities in the U.S., OpenTable reports a 63 percent drop as of March 14, compared to that day last year. In another city with triple-digit cases of the virus, New York City, reservations have dropped 64 percent.

Dining out is down globally, according to OpenTable’s data, although Australia (at 11 percent), followed by the United Kingdom (20 percent) and Mexico (21 percent) have seen a smaller drop than other countries, like Ireland, Germany and Canada.

A number of states have restricted dine-in options at restaurants during the emergency, including California, Illinois, Ohio, Washington state and Washington, D.C. New York City is limiting bars and restaurants to delivery and takeout only, while California is allowing restaurants to remain open at reduced capacity.

A number of independent restaurant chains have also voluntarily shut their doors, amid the low number of diners and warnings about large gatherings.

Meanwhile, delivery orders from services like Uber Eats and Postmates are surging as people are urged to stay home to help prevent the coronavirus from spreading further in their communities.