DURHAM, N.C. – A restaurant owner on Monday said he goes beyond the recommended guidelines to prevent a COVID-19 outbreak at his business.

Although restaurants in North Carolina are allowed to admit up to 50 percent of their normal dining room capacity, Leonardo Williams has capped occupancy at Zweli's Kitchen at 30 customers and staff, well below the number state health officials say he can host. Additionally, Williams takes down contact information for everyone who eats in his restaurant to assist with contact tracing.

“We're constantly ensuring that we're testing. We're constantly collecting information and doing informal contact tracing,” he says.

A new CDC study suggests Williams is right to be wary. On Friday, CDC officials said a review of outpatients from 11 healthcare facilities found people who tested positive for COVID-19 were twice as likely to report having eaten in a restaurant in the preceding two weeks as people who tested negative. Responses came from 314 patients during the month of July.

The CDC noted the study had several limitations. Besides the small sample size, it did not differentiate between outdoor and indoor dining, nor did it take into account other activities where respondents might have picked up the virus. Researchers also pointed out the respondents already knew their COVID status and this might have influenced their answers.

Williams said almost nothing about COVID-19 surprises him anymore.  

“Realistically, people are everywhere, and all we can do is follow the safety precautions,” he says.

Williams says he encourages his customers to order take-out directly from their favorite restaurants and to do it frequently. That way he can generate cash flow while minimizing contacts between customers and staff.