During these pressing times, we are all concerned about our own safety and well-being, and this is especially true when interacting with others that aren’t immediate family members or friends. Receiving online food orders is no different, because it’s naive to assume that the person handling your food, hasn’t been exposed to the virus themselves.

Today, we’re going to be discussing some preventative measures that you can take when dealing with online food ordering companies in Dubai, like Sweetheart Kitchen, in order to curb the spread of the virus and promote awareness for the issue at hand.

Recent studies have shown that the virus can be spread by people who have not shown any physical symptoms. It is quite possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then if they also touch their own mouth, nose, or even their eyes.

This is not considered to be the main way the virus spreads, but we are continuing to learn more about it each and every day.

Don’t Work if you’re Sick

If you are working as a pickup or delivery driver for online food orders, don’t resume your work duties if you are sick. If you start to develop severe symptoms that include a cough or shortness of breath, call your healthcare provider for medical advice before visiting any in-person facilities. 

You should not return to work until you have met all of the following criteria, after talking with your doctor. In order to prevent your business’ reputation from being tarnished, comply with these rules and you can preserve your online food order business in Dubai. 

Wear A Mask

Secondly, wearing a mask is imperative for curbing the spread of the virus. Workers who are delivering these online food orders need to adhere to these measures because it’s in compliance with the law and it shows respect for the customers you have the pleasure of interacting with. 

CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are hard to closely monitor, especially in areas that are considered “epicenters”, with high volumes of cases and infection rates. 

Cloth face coverings can prevent others who are unaware if they have the virus from transmitting it to any other people. 

For example, if your online food order business in Dubai is seeing an increase in the number of pick-up and delivery orders, ensure that your workers are wearing their masks and gloves at all times. 

If all of your workers, including you wear this form of PPE, you are single-handedly saving your online food order business from dealing with any dire ramifications. 

Limit Your Interactions

The following is a list of examples that you can follow to limit your interactions with people that are potentially infected:

• Avoid having close contact with people as much as possible when picking up food, groceries, or other items at restaurants or your local grocery stores. This helps protect the both of you and the workers at the restaurants or grocery stores that are bringing these items to you.
• Practice contactless deliveries as often as you can. Contactless deliveries allow you to leave customer’s food right at their doorsteps, move back to a distance greater than 6 feet away while verifying the transaction of the delivery with the person getting the delivery, and try to conduct all of your interactions electronically, whether it’s on an app or through other means on your phone. This eliminates the dependency for close contact between you and the person who is receiving their food.
• Limit your contact with all kinds of surfaces during pickups and deliveries, such as countertops, buttons on elevators, doorbells, handles on doors, radio buttons, and much more.
• Try to avoid sharing items such as scanners, pens, or any other tools that both parties are able to use.
• Use a foot, shoulder, elbow, hip, or forearm instead of hands when you are opening doors at pick-up and delivery sites, if at all possible.

Be Mindful of Your Personal Hygiene

• Please avoid coming into contact with your eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Proper hand hygiene is an important way to control infection as well. Keep in mind where you can access and use facilities with soap and water while you are working your shift. Wash your hands consistently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
• Important times to Clean your Hands Include:
  • Before, during, and after making food
  • Before you eat
  • After using the bathroom
  • After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
• Additional times that you can clean your hands Include:
  • Before and after your shift ends
  • Before and during work breaks
  • Before and after initiating a delivery
  • After putting on, touching, or removing your face masks
  • After touching frequently used surfaces such as doorbells or handles on doors
  • Before wearing and after removing your gloves
  • Before and after putting gas in your car
• Carry tissues with you in your car and use them when you cough, sneeze or touch your face. Throw used tissues away, effective immediately.

Continue to Clean

• Purchase and carry cleaning and disinfectant spray or disposable wipes and a trash bag with you in your vehicle.
• Clean and disinfect frequently used surfaces at the start and end of each shift, particularly if the vehicle is used by any of your coworkers, following the directions on the cleaning product’s label. Clean surfaces that are visibly dirty with detergent or soap and water prior to disinfecting. Frequently used surfaces can include the steering wheel, gearshift, signaling levers, handles on doors, and your seat belts.
• Wipe down items such as pens and electronic signature pads/mobile devices if shared with all of your customers after each use.
• Appropriate disinfectants to use for hard non-porous surfaces include:
  • EPA’s Registered Antimicrobial Products for Use Against Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2
  • Diluted household bleach solutions prepared according to the manufacturer’s label for disinfection, and if it’s appropriate for the surface.
  • Alcohol solutions that contain at least 70% alcohol.