COVID-19 has changed the way we do pretty much everything, including eating out. Now that many restaurants have reopened dine-in options , with socially distanced tables inside or outdoors, a new problem presents itself: How do you wear a mask while eating?

Wearing a face mask has become a requirement in most states when entering most businesses, and for good reason. But what do you do with that mask when its time to take a bite? Do you place it on the table? Store it in your purse until youre ready to leave? Do you put the mask back on when speaking to servers? And do you put it on between each bite?

As were all navigating this new normal, the questions are endless and understandable. HuffPost consulted doctors to get their best suggestions.

Sanitize your hands as soon as you sit down.

When you enter a restaurant, your initial thought may be to head to the restroom to wash your hands. Though generally nothing can replace hand-washing with soap and water, a few doctors suggest staying seated at your table and utilizing sanitizer in this situation.

Heading to the restroom means walking back through the restaurant to your table with all the possibilities for recontamination and then taking your mask off.

Instead, use a personal hand sanitizer that you bring along with you [and] handle the mask by its straps to avoid possible transfer between the mask and your hands, said internal medicine physician Vivek Cherian .

Never set your mask down on the table.

So now that youve safely removed your mask by the ear straps, the million-dollar question is: Where do you actually place it? Even doctors have varying suggestions, but they all agree on one thing: Putting your mask on the table is a no-no.

When you are eating at a restaurant, the last place you want to put the mask after you remove it is on the table, Cherian said.