Covid-19: Nagaland authority issues hygiene guidelines for food services

Dimapur, April 30 (EMN): The department of Municipal Affairs has issued a number of guidelines for food and catering service operators to follow as a precautionary measure against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Administrators of urban local bodies are directed to disseminate the information to the food and catering service operators, a press release from Principal Secretary Himato Zhimomi stated on April 30, Thursday.

• Clean and disinfect food service areas after every meal has been prepared. Disinfect high-contact points such as door knobs, equipment handles etc., repeatedly.
• Disinfect high-contact points such as working counters, door knobs, equipment handles, billing counters, card machines etc., repeatedly.
• Provide hand washing or sanitising facilities at the entrance to retail stores.
• Food handlers must use tongs, gloves and utensils’ to prevent contact with food.
• Food handlers must wear clean uniforms, gloves, masks or ‘face cover,’ and head covers.
• Wash all food items thoroughly with clean, potable water. Use 50ppm chlorine with clean, potable water for fruits and vegetables that are to be consumed raw.
• Promote hand hygiene and practice social distancing among staff.
• Encourage pre-ordering food online or over the ‘telephone’ to reduce the waiting time. Establish designated pick-up zones for customers, and maintain a minimum distance or gap of one meter.
• Avoid eating or selling “pets” and wild animals for human consumption.  
• Maintain hygienic and disinfected storage facilities for food items.
• Ensure strict compliance to the advisories, directives or standard operating procedures issued by the government as precautionary measures.