Like most of us in the United States (and around the world), we’re staying home a lot more.
One of the biggest concerns for those doing so is food. While yes, home cooking has seen an enormous rise in popularity as virtually all restaurants and food offerings have closed traditional dine-in services, many are looking towards delivery and take out.
If you’re tired of cooking already or just looking to switch it up for a night, rest assured that there are still plenty of options for getting food safely delivered or picked up.
Popular delivery services like Uber Eats, Grubhub, DoorDash, and more are still available and operating for the time being. Fortunately, according to the CDC and other sources, there is currently no evidence that Coronavirus can be transmitted either through food packaging or the food itself, which is a big win for those of us who can’t cook.
The bigger problem, however, lies in the contact that we must make in order to actually get the food, including delivery person contact, or the risk of any air particles or coughing sticking to surfaces.
For those staying in and ordering in, here are the best practices for food delivery during the quarantine.
Delivery Instructions
Virtually all delivery services, whether it’s through one of the apps mentioned above or local restaurant’s own delivery, has the option for the recipient to leave special instructions.
For the time being, many food services are opting for “contactless” delivery to reduce the amount of human to human contact. Additionally, it’s advised that customers ordering provide instructions to leave food at the doorstep or in another allocated safe drop off space.
It’s also a good idea to stay up to date with the policies of the certain delivery services you’re utilizing. For example, DoorDash, and Uber Eats are providing gloves and hand sanitizers, as well as car disinfectants to their drivers to reduce the risk of contact as much as possible.
Best Practices
While delivery services are currently deemed as “safe” and are taking as many precautions as possible to limit risk, is there anything else you can do to ensure you and your family’s safety while ordering food?
The short answer is always yes.
Immediately after receiving your food from a contactless pickup, it’s advised to wash your hands thoroughly. Additionally, while there is no evidence stating that food packaging can transmit the disease, you’re most likely safer to transport the food to your own dishes and serving trays to limit as many foreign particles as possible.
Here are some other best practices as recommended by the CDC:
- Refrigerate leftovers within two hours
- Try not to share utensils, dishes, or cups with those who you are dining with
- Recycle the bags and packaging that the food comes in
- Disinfect tables and counters both before and after you eat
Lastly, be sure to tip your delivery driver!!
Food delivery drivers are typically either paid by each delivery they complete (most popular for apps like Uber Eats, Grubhub, etc.), or hourly by local restaurants.
There is no work from home option for these workers, so if it’s in your power, please be sure to tip (or preferably overtip) these drivers who are taking the butt of the risk by picking up and delivering food orders.
It’s simply the right thing to do.
It is still unknown how long restaurants and local businesses will be closed in most US States. So while the situation continues to persist, we must all take it upon ourselves to follow best practices, recommendations, and use our own judgment and caution.
That being said, a freshly made and delivered meal comes as a much welcome break from the consistent cooking and food prepping many have had to adjust their schedules to.
Be safe, stay home, and remember to tip!
