The COVID-19 has impacted nearly every aspect of society including the food industry including restaurants, bars, night clubs, catering companies, delivery services and all the workers who power them.

Governments all over the world are taking drastic measures to enforce social distancing and restaurants are making attempts to change their menu and strengthen their sanitising habits to reduce capacities or close entirely. 

The delivery industry is also trying to include no-contact options to protect the safety of the delivery person and person who made the order. 

Is it safe to order takeout?

There is currently no evidence of food being associated with COVID-19, according to both the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The issue lies in the risks of interacting with other people. 

Precautionary measures taken against the virus 

• Check the ordering methods available

You can consider ordering directly through in-house delivery options for your favourite restaurants or catering services, or go through third-party apps to order your food. 

But in the event that your preferred restaurant only delivers through third-party platforms, then it is good practice to check if they have provided adequate protection for at-risk delivery workers. You should also check if they have measures set in place to handle any possible issues swiftly. 

For instance, most of the third-party delivery services have announced a new method of delivery, ‘contactless delivery’. This means that the recipient will leave behind instructions for the driver to leave the food at a designated area without the need to meet at all.

Halal catering company, How’s Catering has also implemented some measures in its attempt to combat the virus: 

1. Daily body temperature taking twice a day for all staff
2. Travel declaration is obtained from all staff
3. Comply and monitor closely on MOH advisories
4. Maintaining high standards of personal hygiene
5. All frontline staff are required to wear face masks during setup, sanitise their hands and wear hand gloves prior to handling food
6. All visitors/suppliers will need to fill up a Visitor Registration Form and go through a body temperature screening and hand sanitisation before coming into the premises
7. Food safety and hygiene officers will continue upholding our hygiene practices
8. Educate and update our staff on the advisories issued by MOH 

• Minimise human contact

If you opt to pick up a to-go order from a restaurant, avoid peak hours so that there are fewer people present for you to come into close proximity with. 

If you’re unwell, stay at home and avoid interacting with anyone outside. 

• Throw away or disinfect surfaces that may be contaminated

The CDC has mentioned a possibility of a person getting the COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has been contaminated by the virus then touching their own mouth, nose or possibly eyes. Although, that is not thought to be the main cause of the virus spread. 

However, you should still be cautious and take precautions by immediately throwing away the packaging materials that come with your food delivery (e.g. paper bag, receipts etc.), or prepare to disinfect the surfaces in your home that they come in contact with.

• Wash your hands and maintain good hygiene practices

It is your responsibility to wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. The alternative is to use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to clean your hands. 

You should also refrain from touching your face with unwashed hands, and if you need to cough or sneeze, do it into a tissue or bent elbow before immediately washing your hands afterward and throwing the contaminated tissue away. 

Conclusion

The food industry has been hit quite badly by the COVID-19 situation due to decrease in walk-in customers and understandably so as the government tries their best to minimise community spreading and contain the virus effectively. 

However, thanks to the option of delivery, there is still a way to provide food to those who need it. With precautionary measures set in place, we hope to reassure all customers that we are even more diligent than usual in ensuring that the food prepared and delivered is safe to consume and our delivery team are healthy and well. 

Where to order corporate catering? 

How’s Catering offers a wide range of services including preparing catering menus for corporate settings, weddings, festive occasions, buffets, high tea, and kids/thematic. How’s Catering is Halal-cerfied and promises quality and personalised services for every client. If you’re keen on finding out more about our menu or customisation options, feel free to contact us at +65 6852 2852 or email sales@howscatering.com.sg