With many
of the Hudson Valley restaurants offering take out and curbside pick-up
options, one has to wonder, “could the Covid virus be transmitted in food, or in
take-out containers?” After all, we hear advertisements about “contact-less”
deliveries from some fast food eateries.
Also
beginning June 9th, Hudson Valley eateries can now offer outside
dining.
So, what’s the story about passing the virus in the food from
restaurants or by their employees. According to the Mayo Clinic findings, “Experts
don't have all of the answers about potential ways the virus that
causes COVID-19 spread.” But
here’s what they do know:
Food containers and packaging
There's no evidence of anyone contracting the virus that
causes COVID-19 after touching food containers and food packaging.
Many restaurants are now offering no-contact takeout and delivery to lessen the
risk of transmission.
Still, if you're concerned, it's reasonable to follow general
food safety guidelines. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and
water after handling takeout containers, and then transfer food to a clean dish
using clean utensils. Wash your hands again before eating. After disposing of
containers, clean and disinfect any surfaces that had takeout containers on
them.
Tips on ordering your dinner “to go”
The techy and trendy watchdog, CNET, says that whenever
you order take-out or groceries online, you'll see an empty field titled
"delivery instructions." Normally, you might use this to provide a
gate code, but now, you can ask drivers to drop off food at the door or send a
photo of where the food should be left. Customers can often also contact their
driver directly through the apps to make any delivery arrangements as soon as
the driver accepts the order.
You can keep up to date on what your preferred
delivery app or service is doing to mitigate infection on their websites. For
example, DoorDash is distributing hand sanitizer and gloves to drivers, and is
working with restaurants to share some best practices for handling food at this
time, like taping over ends of straws, a spokesperson said.
Grubhub provided drivers and restaurants with
the CDC's recommendations for best hygiene and appropriate precautions for
interacting with others, a spokesperson told CNET. Uber Eats is also giving drivers car disinfectant, prioritizing
"cities with the greatest need," according to its website.
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