By 2020 has been a unique year that has seen people staying indoors, working from home and walking around in face masks. Coronavirus pandemic has led to the enforcement of the shelter-in-place orders, which have made it hard for people to move as freely as they did before the pandemic. You are probably wondering: can I still have food and groceries delivered at my doorstep? Is it safe to order take-out?
Well, do not worry anymore. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, it is still possible to order food and groceries and have them safely delivered at your home. There are companies like Postmates, Uber Eats, DoorDash, Instacart, and Grubhub that still offer these services to their clients in a safe way.
So far, there has been no concrete evidence showing that people can get infected by coronavirus through food and grocery packaging. The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control have previously stated that germs take about nine days on surfaces. However, there are some factors like the PH level and heat that can substantially reduce the germs’ lifespan. For this reason, you do not have to be paranoid about a sick chef transmitting COVID-19 to you through your food, especially cooked food. You, however, have to be cautious when it comes to salads or any other cold foods. With proper handling of food, you can rest assured that you are safe from the coronavirus. As a customer, you have to be cautious and take the necessary precautions, such as putting on a face mask when getting your stuff from the delivery man.
The delivery person should be your main concern as he or she has the potential of transmitting the deadly virus to you through vaporized air particles, coughing, or any other kind of direct contact with your body. This is why a face mask is very essential to your safety. A lot of food delivery services have adopted the contactless drop-offs and also keep encouraging their customers to follow the instructions regarding drop-offs to keep themselves safe from COVID-19. Postmates – a food delivery service company – introduced Dropoff Options in March. Dropoff Options is a feature that allows customers to choose their drop-off options. With this feature, customers can choose whether to meet their delivery driver at the curbside, at the door or have no contact with the driver who will leave the deliveries at the door. Some companies like DoorDash have made the no-contact delivery the default delivery option. Some like Yelp and Instacart have added this contact-free delivery option on their list of options. During this pandemic, some companies like Uber Eats have been making these deliveries for free in US and Canada. Restaurant owners have had a contention with this since they have to pay these third-party food delivery apps, which charge high fees. Doing so, cuts deep into restaurant owners’ profits, making them struggle to keep things afloat during this time.
So, besides face masks, how can you stay safe when the delivery man gets to your home? Below are a few tips that can help keep you and your family stay safe and healthy.
Select the no-contact option
Though there are many options for delivery during this pandemic, the best delivery option to take is the contact-free option. With this, you get to have no contact with the delivery man. Instead, he or she gets to deliver your products at the door and leave. Once the delivery man is gone, take the products from the outermost delivery container or bag and leave it outside. Remember to put on a face mask so you may not inhale any contaminated air. Discard this container or bag later using hand gloves.
Wear face mask
Despite the delivery method you choose, put on a face mask before going to pick up your deliveries. Ensure that you have put it on in the right way to keep yourself safe.
Pay for delivery using credit card
Avoid handling cash at all cost. When making a food or grocery order, try as much as you can to pay using your phone or online credit card payment.
Use curbside pickup option
In this option, ask the delivery man to leave the items at the back seat, the trunk, or place the food a short distance from the car where you can pick it up once the delivery man has left. After handling the food and grocery delivery, use hand sanitizer to clean your hands, then proceed on to the food safety and sanitation instructions.
Wash your hands
Following the 20-second rule, wash your hands with soap and water before handling the food and grocery delivery. After that, transfer the foods from the drop-off container or bag to the serving or storage dishes. Do not forget to use hand gloves to safely discard the drop-off bag. Once you have transferred the content, wash your hands again.
Preheat the food
This precaution is not necessary, but it is good as it will ensure total protection from the coronavirus. Since this bacteria is prone to heat, it is good to preheat all foods before consumption. As for groceries, clean them with soap and water before storing them.
Restaurants and other places handling food have strict regulations enforced by health officials. For years, there have been protocols followed to curb the spread of hepatitis A, norovirus, influenza, and other viruses. Though COVID-19 cannot be transmitted through foods, it is good to take high precaution when handling the deliveries. This is because the virus can survive for long on things that people touch, including takeout utensils and containers. For this reason, you have to thoroughly wash your hands after handling deliveries. If possible, use your plates when eating the delivered foods.
See, it is possible. You can have food and groceries safely delivered to you. All you have to do is take the necessary precautions to keep you and your family safe. These precautions are quite simple: put on a face mask, keep distance, and always keep your hands clean by constantly washing them with soap and water or sanitizing.
