SHARJAH - Sharjah Municipality (SM) affirmed its keenness to intensify inspection visits to all food establishments in the city of Sharjah, to ensure its commitment to health requirements and controls regulating the workflow, and to the preventive measures to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus according to the circulars issued, as well as to organise continuous awareness campaigns.

Thabet Al Tarifi, Director-General of the Sharjah Municipality, confirmed that the municipality has contributed to monitoring and awareness-raising in limiting the spread of the pandemic by establishing preventive health controls for food establishments since the start of the pandemic, which is constantly updated in line with government directives issued in this regard.

Sheikha Shaza Al Mualla, Assistant Director-General of the Public Health Sector and Central Laboratories, explained that these measures follow previous preventive instructions that the municipality had circulated to food establishments, which included the necessity for workers and customers to wear masks and measure the temperature before entering, and to oblige workers to wash hands with soap and water in a regular manner.

Also periodically stop everyone who shows any symptoms of respiratory infection from work and direct him to the nearest health centre to conduct the examination, provide sterilisers inside the facility, sterilise surfaces constantly, use tableware such as single-use cups and dishes, and not allow open buffet or self-service in restaurants, and adhere to all health requirements and food safety.

Al Mualla indicated the continuation and intensification of inspection visits to these establishments to ensure their commitment to implementing all preventive measures to educating workers about all of them.

Dr. Amal Al Shamsi, Director of the Public Health Department, stated that, during the past year, the inspection teams of the Food Control Department carried out more than 43,193 inspection visits to food establishments such as restaurants, bakeries, cafeterias and others.

© Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2021.