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Is Covid in my take-out?



Can your dinner tonight contain the virus?

COVID-19, takeout, food, delivery, restaurants


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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