Former FDA chief Scott Gottlieb says he wouldn't eat indoors at a restaurant

Scott Gottlieb, a physician who headed the Food and Drug Administration for the first two years of President Trump's administration, has been delivering some harsh predictions and recommendations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. And in his most recent dose of advice, Gottlieb warned Americans that one favorite activity is still incredibly unsafe.

As COVID-19 sees an unprecedented surge, Gottlieb told CNBC on Monday that he is comfortable going to "many big-box stores properly masked." But "I will not indoors in a restaurant," Gottlieb added. "I've been eating outdoors since the summertime and wouldn't eat indoors in a restaurant. I think the risk is too high to be in a confined space without a mask on with other people eating in that same location right now." Even if tables are properly spaced out, "you're in a confined space," and people may be "talking loudly," only exacerbating the risk.

COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths have reached record highs throughout the U.S. over the past few days, leading to new rounds of business closures and restrictions. But most places have allowed indoor dining to remain open, even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have warned that eating out and drinking at bars are the pandemic's riskiest activities.

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