How safe is takeout food on P.E.I. in the time of COVID-19?
'Right now we don't have a big issue because we just don't have the staff on'
Getting tired of cooking at home during the COVID-19 pandemic?
You're not alone — restaurants offering take-out and delivery services on P.E.I. have been busy lately, since dining rooms were ordered to close in mid-March.
"That has grown [like] crazy in the last two weeks — people getting tired of maybe cooking? Friday and Saturday night the deliveries have been very, very busy," said Kevin Murphy, president of Murphy Hospitality Group, which owns 20 food establishments. Only four of those are operating now, offering take-out or delivery: a Pizza Delight, The Gahan House, Sims and The Merchantman.
But how do you know that what you've ordered is being handled safely? Last week, health officials said restaurants will only be inspected if there is a complaint.
"Right now we don't have a big issue because we just don't have the staff on — it's pretty minimal," Murphy said.
Murphy's restaurants are only doing about 10 per cent of their normal volume, he said — so with only one cook in the kitchen at Gahan and two at the Merchantman, there's enough space for physical distancing.
At Gahan there is a limit of two customers inside at any time, separated from the cashier by a table, and separated from one another by tape markings on the floor. At the Merchantman, staff delivers directly to customers' cars.
'Do things a little differently'
P.E.I.'s Department of Health has published recommendations for food-service operators to help them continue feeding customers while minimizing the risk of spreading COVID-19 and has developed a handout on safety tips for food delivery, drive-thru and restaurant pick up.
"Environmental health officers under the regulations really are trying to make sure that if there's any concerns, they follow up with any concerns from any of the restaurants who are providing pick up or delivery," said chief public health officer Dr. Heather Morrison in her daily briefing Thursday afternoon, pointing out restaurants have guidance both through the Department of Health and Restaurants Canada.
"Everyone's learning how to do things a little differently and not only do it differently but to try to make sure we do it safely for the staff in those restaurants as well as the public," she added.
Murphy said his staff is following those protocols, and he is also staying on top of chief public health officer Dr. Heather Morrison's daily briefings for any changes in advice.
Murphy said his cooks put food in containers with clean hands, then another staffer wearing gloves puts the order in a bag and takes it out of the kitchen to a cashier or delivery person wearing gloves .
He said he is not concerned about transmission of COVID-19 on food or packaging because the possibility of transmission of COVID-19 on containers has been shown to be very low, he said.
"Our understanding of the food is that that's not the way it's transmitted, as much — it's more don't have 10 people waiting in your lobby picking up food," Murphy said.
'It's quite difficult'
Bombay Cuisine in Charlottetown is just shy of its one-year anniversary — but it's not really a happy occasion. Business is down about 60 per cent since COVID-19 shut down restaurant dining, said cashier Vivek Mandal, the owner's son.
"My dad's been stressing about it," said Mandal, 18.
There are only one or two cooks in the Bombay kitchen, both wearing masks and physical distancing.
"It's quite difficult, because before everyone was kind of close together and it would make work easier," Mandal said. "Now, you have to tell them to come here and then you just kind of back out and they do it for you." Making dough for naan, making samosas and doing dishes take a lot more communication than before, he said, which is "kind of weird."
Mandal or his sister work the cash register — he said they've placed a couple of chairs around the counter so customers can't get close, and when he rings in an order he wears gloves, puts down the debit machine on a chair and steps back so customers can pay.
Drive-thru dining has also seen a huge surge in popularity. McDonald's Canada responded to CBC P.E.I.'s request for information on their food preparations with a short email Wednesday, noting they continue to evolve their operating procedures to protect employees and customers.
"Our crew have been trained to minimize contact with drive-thru and delivery orders and have additional measures in place, including [physical] distancing guidelines for our crew working in the kitchen. This includes limiting the number of staff in the kitchen and drive-thru areas, maintaining a two-metre distance, and the installation of drive-thru shields.
"In addition, crew are encouraged to wear gloves in high-contact areas and wash their hands with soap and water frequently as advised by leading health authorities," the email stated.
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