30 July 2020

To All Licensees of Food Premises

Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation
Directions in relation to Catering Business and other recommended measures to be adopted

This department writes again to the licensees and operators of food premises in the light of the latest situation of the COVID-19 and for the purpose of curbing the continued spread of the disease in the community by further minimising eating in groups and social contact.  Pursuant to the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F), the Secretary for Food and Health has issued the latest directions through notices published in the Gazette on 30 July 2020 which will take effect from 31 July 2020 to 4 August 2020. 

Pursuant to the latest directions, catering business is allowed to resume the daytime dine-in services (from 5:00 am to 5:59 pm) subject to the number of customers at any catering premises at any one time must not exceed 50% of the normal seating capacity of the premises.  No more than two persons may be seated together at one table within any catering premises.  In addition, tables available for use or being used by customers within any catering premises must be arranged in a way to ensure there is a distance of at least 1.5 metres or a partition which could serve as an effective buffer between one table and another table at the premises.  Please refer to the Appendix for details.

In addition, this department also appeals to food business proprietors and food handlers to observe that apart from paying attention to the social distancing for staff or customers within the premises, you should also pay particular attention on personal, food and environmental hygiene.  This department further advises you to adopt the following measures:

• Provide takeaway service to customers or even delivery service as far as possible;

• Avoid table sharing;

• Arrange the seating of customers in same direction to avoid face to face contact as far as possible;

• Strengthen the cleaning, checking and repairing works on all parts of ventilation systems in the premises, including exhaust air outlets, filters, and the fresh air inlet and air ducts, etc.;

• Areas that people may frequently come into contact, such as door knobs, tabletops and seats, should be cleaned and disinfected regularly, in particular after customers left, tabletop area including the partition should be cleansed and disinfected before the next batch of customer enters into the seats.

• In addition to providing each customer with his/her own tableware, food handlers should proactively provide each customer with additional " chopstick(s)" or " spoon(s)" for communal use;

• All foods, drinks and utensils must be stored and covered properly. Food should be properly covered during conveyance by the food handlers.

• Food trays, in particular the rims of trays, must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected every time after use by customers.  If tray lining is used, it shall also be replaced every time after use;

• You must ensure that equipment for serving food or drink must be kept clean and disinfected regularly.  Such equipment should not be used for collecting used eating utensils and food residues from a table.  In addition, equipment for collecting used eating utensils and food residues must also be kept clean and disinfected regularly.  For easy identification by staff and assure customers that the food premises had taken measures to uphold food hygiene, equipment in different colours or attached with labels should be considered for the purpose of signifying the different purposes involved;

• Food handling and scullery shall be carried out in food rooms (including kitchens and scullery rooms) but refrain from carry out at any open space;

• Sterilizer(s) of not less than 23-litre capacity shall be provided in kitchen/ front food room/ food preparation room/ scullery portion  for the sterilization of all crockery, glassware or other utensils used in the preparation and consumption of food.  Perforated metal or wire dipping trays shall be provided to hold the crockery etc. being sterilized. Alternatively, a mechanical dish washer or bactericidal agent may be used. The type of dish washer or bactericidal agent must be approved by the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene (Please refer to section 19 of Food Business Regulation (Cap. 132X) and the relevant licensing condition and food hygiene code);

• Food business operators should strengthen cleansing and regular disinfection (at least three times daily) to food premises including kitchens, food rooms, scullery rooms, toilets and the seating area to keep them clean. Disinfection by applying 1:99 diluted domestic bleaching agent (i.e. dilution by mixing one part of bleaching agent with 99 parts of water) shall be carried out regularly every day and when in need, and 1:49 diluted domestic bleaching agent (i.e. dilution by mixing one part of bleaching agent with 49 parts of water) should be used for places contaminated with respiratory secretions, vomitus or excreta;

• Please ensure that toilet facilities are at all times maintained in good working order and adequate supply of liquid soap, paper towels and electric hand-dryer be provided in toilets;

• The drain pipes of most buildings are connected with the wash-hand basins/wash-up sinks, the bathtubs/shower trays, the water closets and the floor drains of individual flats. Each of these sanitary fitments is fitted with a trap (including U shaped water trap, bottled trap or anti-siphonage trap) to prevent foul smell and insects in the soil pipe from entering into the premises. To prevent the trap from drying and thus make it possible for the bacteria or virus to persist in the environment as well as disease to spread, the water traps must be filled with water. Pour about half a litre of water into each drain outlet regularly (about once a week).Then, pour a teaspoon of 1:99 diluted household bleach solution into the drain outlet. Repair immediately if there is defect in the trap or smell of foul air coming out from drain outlets;

• Refuse and food residues shall be stored at refuse bins with close-fitting lids and properly dispose of;

• Food handlers shall wear a face mask when working;

• All food handlers must keep their hands clean at all times.  They should wash hands with liquid soap and water before handling food, after handling raw food, after using the toilet, and after engaging in any activities that may contaminate hands. If disposable gloves are used, use it properly.  Please note that the use of gloves is not a substitute for hand-washing. The gloves should be disposed of, if they are damaged, become dirty or have been taken off by food handlers for suspending their work.  Please change the gloves frequently and wash hands when changing the gloves and after taking off the gloves.  In addition, the working gloves used by cleansing and scullery staff should be easily distinguishable, so that they could be easily identified by the staff working for different tasks;

• Please wash hands with liquid soap and water, and rub hands for at least 20 seconds.  Then rinse with water and dry with a disposable paper towel.  Please avoid touching the water tap directly again after the hands have been washed (for example: using a paper towel to wrap the faucet before turning it off).  If hand washing facilities are not available, or when hands are not visibly soiled, cleaning hands with 70% to 80% alcohol-based hand sanitisers is an effective alternative; and

• Food handlers should cease engaging in any food handling work when suffering or suspected to be suffering from an infectious disease or symptoms of illness such as flu, diarrhoea, vomiting, jaundice, fever, sore throat and abdominal pain. When having respiratory symptoms, they should seek medical advice promptly.

For continuous upkeep of environmental hygiene, food business operators and food handlers must make concerted and persistent efforts to ensure cleanliness and hygiene of the premises and food safety.  This department will take stringent enforcement actions against offenders in defiance of legislation on environmental hygiene and food safety issues.