How Safe Is Takeout Or Delivery During The Coronavirus Crisis?
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - They're a restaurant's only options right now – takeout or delivery – but how safe is it to have someone else prepare your food these days?
Without a dine-in option, the foot traffic inside local restaurants is low.
"We took a big hit of course," said Thomas Quach of KoJa Kitchen. "But we're doing what we can cause we understand so many people are unable to cook."
At his downtown Sacramento restaurant, even the takeout orders are slow. Though, the ways staff are keeping clean have certainly gone up.
READ: Low-Level Sacramento County Inmates Released From Jail Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
"We want to take our own precaution, but also for the people we have close contact with," said Quach.
Employees at KoJa cover their mouths with masks and are seen constantly sanitizing. A jug of hand sanitizer for customers sits next to the register. Awareness of possible contamination is of high importance for employees.
"Every time they touch anything else they have to change their gloves," said Quach.
Other restaurants told CBS13 they're only letting in one customer at a time to order and using pre-packaged utensils to avoid customers touching things, too.
New guidelines issued by the California Department of Health say during this takeout and delivery period, restaurants should be sanitizing more. But, experts said the likelihood of catching the virus from your food isn't high.
ALSO: Coronavirus Directives: Yuba And Sutter Counties Told To Stay Home Except For Essential Activities
"The odds are very small," said Dr. Beilenson, with the Sacramento County Health Department. "It's certainly conceivable I suppose, but very small compared to other ways you can get it - being in much closer proximity to someone who coughed right on you."
Customers at Shoki Ramen in Midtown said they don't feel unsafe getting their meals to-go.
"We still kind of need to eat, you know," said Laurance Saeturn, who had just purchased lunch. "I take my own precautions to be safe but I don't have a problem with going out for food and having someone else prepare it for me."
For Saeturn and his friend Teniesha Parker, it's important to be prepared.
"In my case – I've always got hand sanitizer in my bag," said Parker. "I've got a separate one on my desk."
ALSO: Dispensaries, Local Breweries See More Customers Coming To Stock Up
The common goal among restaurants and their customers during this crisis is to just stay clean.
"Anything we can do to help the community," said Quach.
Many restaurants aren't doing to-go options at all and have closed their doors. Those who still are working with takeout and delivery options say they're planning to keep it going as long as they can.
As for the food safety guidelines, the California Department of Health says they're fluid and could change each day.