Straight translation from Jornal Madeira
This evening, the Regional Government published the regulatiobs that defines the conditions under which the catering sector can resume its activity, defining rules for companies, employees and customers.
A) Companies
1 – Establishments must ensure that all persons who work there and who attend are aware of compliance with the rules, correct hand washing, respiratory etiquette, as well as other personal and environmental hygiene measures.
The importance of:
a) Prepare and / or update its own specific Contingency Plan for COVID-19, in accordance with Guideline 006/2020 “Procedures for prevention, control and surveillance in companies”, of the Directorate-General for Health (DGS);
b) Provide all employees with the Contingency Plan and ensure that they are able to put into practice all the recommended measures, informing them especially about how to recognize and act before a client or employee suspected of COVID-19;
c) Reduce the maximum capacity of the establishment (interior, including balcony, and terrace), in order to ensure the recommended physical distance (2 meters) between people on the premises and ensure compliance with the legislation in force.
The maximum capacity of people / service of the establishment must be affixed to a specific document, visible to the public;
d) Give priority to the use of spaces for customers in outdoor areas, such as terraces (whenever possible) and take-away service;
e) Arrange, whenever possible, chairs and tables in order to guarantee a distance of at least 2 meters between people.
i) The diagonal arrangement of seats can facilitate the maintenance of the safety distance;
ii) Household members can sit face to face or side by side at a distance of less than 2 meters.
f) Prevent customers from changing the orientation of tables and chairs, allowing employees to do so, always within the considerations of the previous paragraph;
g) To foresee all the circumstances that may occur in the establishment, in order to promote the adequate distance between people, for example:
i) Whenever possible and applicable, promote and encourage prior scheduling for customers to reserve seats;
ii) Standing spaces, due to the difficulty of guaranteeing the distance between people, are not recommended, as are self-service operations, namely buffets and food dispensers that involve contact by the customer;
iii) When ordering / paying at the counter, if a queue can be formed, customers should be encouraged to maintain a distance of at least 2 meters, which can be achieved by signaling the place where they must stay waiting for your turn;
iv) The waiting line in the space outside the establishment must guarantee the conditions of distance, security. This can be achieved through appropriate signage or information.
v) The circulation of people to the sanitary facilities, which must occur in circuits where it is possible to maintain the adequate distance between the people who circulate and those who are seated at the tables.
h) Provide alcohol-based solution dispensers located near the entrance of the establishment and in other convenient locations, associated with encouraging and explanatory information
i) Ensure that the sanitary facilities of customers and employees make it possible to wash hands with soap and water and dry hands with single-use paper towels. The taps should be, whenever possible, automatic. The use of dryers that produce air jets is not recommended. Whenever possible, washbasins should be accessible without the need to manipulate doors;
j) To ensure an adequate cleaning and disinfection of surfaces, in accordance with Guideline 014/2020 “Cleaning and disinfection of surfaces in public service establishments or similar”, of the DGS. Cleaning and disinfection protocols should be strengthened, including:
i) Disinfect at least six times a day, using suitable detergents, all areas of frequent contact (for example, door handles, washbasin taps, tables, countertops, chairs, handrails, etc.);
ii) Disinfect critical equipment (such as automatic payment terminals and individual menus) after each use;
iii) Sanitize sanitary facilities at least three times a day with a product containing detergent and disinfectant (2 in 1);
iv) Change towels and clean tables with recommended products for each customer.
k) Remove the decorative motifs on the tables;
l) Replace individual menus with menus that do not need to be handled by customers (for example, handwritten or digital plates) or adopt individual single-use menus (for example, sealed or printed on disposable tablecloths) or plasticized and disinfected menus after each use;
m) Ensure good ventilation and frequent renewal of air in the restaurant areas, for example by opening doors and windows. If air conditioning is used, it must be done in extraction mode and never in air recirculation mode. The equipment must be properly maintained (disinfection by certified method).
B) Employees
1 – Employees of restaurants, beverages and similar establishments must:
a) Know the measures contained in the Contingency Plan and know how to act in the face of a suspected case of COVID-19;
b) Comply with safety recommendations and report to the company or the competent entities situations of non-compliance with the implemented measures that may condition a danger to Public Health;
c) Hand hygiene between each client;
d) Use a mask correctly, during the entire work period in a space with multiple people, respecting the hygiene and safety conditions during its placement, use and removal. Contemplate the need to replace the mask, adopting good usage practices. The use of a mask does not replace other preventive measures, such as the recommended physical distance, which must be maintained;
e) Ensure that the arrangement of tables and chairs in the establishment allows a distance of at least 2 meters between all persons;
f) Maintain, whenever possible, a distance of 2 meters from customers and other employees;
g) Place the plates, glasses, cutlery and other utensils on the tables in the presence of the customer who is going to use them, and their hygiene and packaging must be ensured;
h) The dishes used by customers must be washed in the washing machine with detergent, at an elevated temperature (80-90ºC);
i) Regarding the use of disposable gloves, the employee must know:
i) The use of gloves to prepare and handle food is not a substitute for adequate and frequent hand hygiene;
ii) Employees must not come into contact with exposed and ready to eat food with their own hands and must use appropriate utensils, such as napkins, spatulas, tongs, single-use gloves or distribution equipment;
iii) Do not use gloves from a dirty area to a clean area. Before this passage happens, the gloves must be replaced;
iv) The same pair of gloves can only be used for one task and must be replaced if damaged or if the employee interrupts the task. If an employee is performing the same task continuously, the gloves must be replaced every four hours or whenever necessary.
2 – Employees who develop signs or symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 should not be present at the workplace, and should contact the SRS24 Line (800 24 24 20) or other telephone lines created specifically for this purpose, and proceed accordingly. the indications provided.
3 – Employees who develop signs or symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 during their work shift must be considered a Suspicious Case and be sent to the isolation area, in accordance with the Contingency Plan.
C) Customers
In order to contribute to limiting the transmission of COVID-19, all customers must ensure the following measures:
a) Hand hygiene with alcohol-based solution or soap and water at the entrance and exit of the establishment (before the meal, hand washing with soap and water should be privileged);
b) Respect the distance between people of at least 2 meters (except cohabitants);
c) Give preference to payment by means that do not imply physical contact between the employee and the customer (for example, contactless automatic payment terminal);
D) Restoration activities on mobile and removable media
When carrying out the activities of providing catering services on mobile or removable media, the procedures foreseen for the establishments of restaurants, drinks and similar identified in this apply.