McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) is pausing its U.S. reopening plans for 21 days as coronavirus cases spike across the country.
States like Michigan, Colorado and Florida have been responding to the recent surge by delaying or rolling back efforts to reopen their economies.
Tuesday marked the sixth day that the average number of new COVID-19 cases exceeded previous highs set in April, when some officials thought the U.S. reached its peak.
About 2,200 of McDonald’s U.S. dining rooms are currently open, which is roughly 15% of its total U.S. footprint.
The Chicago-based restaurant chain also says franchisees who have already reopened dining rooms and are not facing any rollbacks from local officials may decide if they want to keep them open.
Officials with McDonald’s also emphasized that franchisees should continue to be disciplined about safety measures, including wearing masks properly and adhering to wellness and temperature check procedures.
A top World Health Organization official warned Wednesday that certain countries may need to re-implement lockdowns. In the U.S., more than 12 states have paused or rolled back their re-openings following a recent spike in cases.
Globally, more than 10 million people have been infected by the coronavirus and at least 511,000 lives have been taken, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
MCD shares began Thursday up $1.62 to $186.28.
