Tips to Safely Order Takeout during Coronavirus Outbreak
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8 April 2020 14:33 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia is increasing, therefore, the government advises people to stay home and practice physical distancing.
For some people who are living far from home, especially students, or those who rarely cook their own meals, getting food can be challenging during this novel coronavirus pandemic. Experts at the FDA say there are no known risks or evidence suggesting that COVID-19 can be transmitted by food or food packaging.
Through its Instagram official account, the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) shared several tips to order takeout safely as follows:
- Make sure the restaurant, its kitchen and equipment are clean
Getting food from clean restaurants is vital since viruses and all microorganisms like to live in dirty places. Other than coronavirus, salmonella that causes typhus or E. coli that causes diarrhea may be found in such an environment.
- Maintain a distance of one meter from others
People’s movement is the highest potential for the transmission of the new coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2. The virus can be transmitted from one to another with a distance of one meter. Even droplets produced by sneeze or cough can travel up to 1.8 meters.
- Make sure the cook, food vendors or waitresses wear a face mask and gloves
The cook and restaurant employees are highly recommended to wear a face mask and gloves in an effort to minimize the risk of the virus spread.
- Maintain hand hygiene
If you must dine-in, make sure to wash your hands with soap and running water thoroughly or apply hand sanitizer before eating.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends washing hands with running water and soap for 20 seconds to kill bacteria and viruses by almost 99 percent or applying at least 60-percent alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Choose freshly cooked food and avoid reheated fried foods and reheated vegetables
The key to fighting the coronavirus is a good immune system which can be obtained from consuming highly nutritious foods. Freshly cooked food has a more perfect source of nutrition than reheated ones.
- Immediately return home after getting the food
Once your food is ready, leave the restaurant immediately, instead of eating in because we never know who out there are carrying the virus without showing symptoms.
SARAH ERVINA DARA SIYAHAILATUA | INSTAGRAM | CDC | WHO
