They are among the potential vectors of the coronavirus. As the pandemic spreads at high speed in France and restaurants and bars have closed their doors, home meal delivery services are called to account by the government.
The latter has just published a "Guide to health precautions to respect in the context of home meal delivery" for platforms such as Deliveroo or Uber Eats, their workers and restaurateurs. Promised by Bruno Le Maire, it was published on Monday by the Ministry of the Economy.
Do not meet the client
According to Bercy's recommendations available on its site, restaurateurs must set up a recovery zone, separate from the kitchen, in order to ensure recovery of the meal without contact between the person or persons responsible for preparing the meal and the person responsible for delivery. Finally, the restaurateur must pay "special attention" to "cleaning and disinfecting all surfaces and utensils in contact with food", and ensuring that the bags containing the meals are "properly closed".
On the delivery side, the objective is to "not meet" the recipient: the delivery people must "place their bags open so that the restaurant staff can place the meal there directly". Arrived at the customer, "the deliveryman leaves immediately or departs a distance of minimum 2 meters from the door, before opening the door," writes the Ministry of Economy in its guide.
No mask or hydroalcoholic gel required
The deliverers must also “constantly apply” the “barrier gestures”, stop working if they have the symptoms of Covid-19, respect a distance of one meter between them while waiting for an order and “regularly clean the delivery equipment using disinfectant wipes ”, in particular“ areas in contact with the hands ”. Finally, Bercy adds that "everyone with symptoms should not go to their place of work".
On the other hand, meal delivery platforms are just invited to “expressly remind” restaurateurs, delivery men and customers of “barrier gestures”. The guide does not mention either the supply of masks or hydroalcoholic gel to the delivery men, for example, nor control of the distances observed by the delivery men.
If it is mainly transmitted by postillions or contact with unwashed hands, the virus survives "a few hours on surfaces and hands, or even objects handled", and even "a few days" in "humid environment", recalls the government.