MoH to draft rules for food vendors, facemasks

THE day after visiting several restaurants and food stalls in downtown Port of Spain, Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh announced that he and other stakeholders would be coming up with safety requirements for food businesses during the covid19 pandemic.

Speaking at a virtual media conference on Tuesday, Deyalsingh said while there were no laws in place mandating food vendors to wear masks, the ministry would take steps towards implementing minimum safety requirements in the Public Health Regulations.

Deyalsingh said during his tour of downtown Port of Spain, he saw firsthand "the good, the bad and the ugly," as he ranked restaurants in terms of how well they adhered to precautions advised by the government.

"One establishment had everything that you could ask for, and then you walk down a few yards and they had nothing."

He said the Chief Medical Officer and public health inspectors "accompanied me on that little 45-minute tour from Independence Square to Charlotte Street."

He said they would now draft minimal requirements to take to the Attorney General to put into the regulations on how food establishments should protect themselves and their customers.

"As we stand right now," he explained, "there is no law which carries a penalty or a sanction for not wearing a mask. What we have done so far is use moral suasion. It's not a law but it's a public health recommendation.

"Some food sellers have adopted this across the board – and I want to congratulate them – while some haven't."

He also said the ministry would publish "strong advisories" on public health measures would be put in place.

He suggested that restaurants putplexiglass screens between cashiers and customers to reduce contact and infection.

"It's not only masks, it's all the commonsense public health measures – physical distancing and so on."

On Saturday the Prime Minister announced that restrictions on the sale of food would be relaxed, as part of a phased reopening process.

At Monday's media conference National Security Minister Stuart Young said even as restrictions have been eased, people found eating at the roadside could be charged for breaching public health regulations.

The Ministry of Health, in its 4 pm covid19 update on Tuesday, said 2,378 have been submitted to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) for testing so far. The number of confirmed cases remains at 116, with eight deaths, and the number of patients discharged remains at 107.