Friday 29 March 2024
 
»
 
»
Story

Abu Dhabi raises customer capacity for restaurants, cafeterias

ABU DHABI, July 30, 2020

The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) has issued a new circular allowing owners and managers of restaurants, coffee shops, cafeterias, and fast food outlets operating inside or outside shopping malls, to raise their customer capacity to 80 per cent with full adherence to the precautionary measures issued by the Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Committee to prevent the spread of Covid-19, said a report.
 
Rashed Abdul Karim Al Balooshi, Undersecretary, ADDED, said that the department currently assesses the commercial activities that have ceased during the previous period across the emirate to better understand their capability to restore and resume their activities and provide services to the Abu Dhabi community, news agency WAM reported.
 
He further noted that ADDED is working with strategic partners to implement the Abu Dhabi Government’s directives to stimulate and develop the emirate's local economy and support various economic sectors in overcoming the current crisis, transforming their challenges into investment opportunities in line with regional and global changes.
 
Al Balooshi added: "We are keen to implement the adherence of all restaurants, coffee shops, and cafeterias inside or outside shopping malls in the emirate to government directives and precautionary measures that will ensure the health and safety of the community members. We are confident that all parties will be cooperative in following these procedures, driven by their commitment to meet our common aspirations to successfully and safely return to full come back to normality."
 
ADDED further allowed owners of restaurants and cafeterias operating inside and outside the shopping centres to increase the customer capacity to 80 per cent while stating the importance of adhering to all the precautionary measures issued by the department in previous circulars, the report said,
 
The department directed owners of restaurants and cafeterias to give due importance on allowing only employees with low health risks to ensure health and safety in the workplace and exclude staff that have higher health risks to come to the workplace. The department said there is a need to conduct a Covid-19 test for employees every two weeks through the DPI laser technology in centres that will be established in this regard.
 
In addition, checking the body temperature of all entrants to the facility is crucial, including employees and workers every two hours during the day using a digital infrared temperature inspection device and called on the concerned personnel to prevent the entry of any person showing symptoms of high temperature, it said.
 
The department further stated that the services of buffet, food counters and displayed food sections are still suspended to exclude hotel restaurants who provide a buffet waiter according to the instructions of the food safety department.
 
The department further stated in its circular that employees and workers must put on face masks and gloves at all time during their shifts, and directed facilities’ owners to install floor stickers to mark social distancing of at least two meters between customers. The department further directed owners to inform the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi in case of any high temperature symptoms shown on employees or workers, as well as comply to rules of using only dishes, glasses, cups, and cutleries that are thermally sterilised or follow single used items. It also reminded them of the need to frequently sterilise surfaces that are often touched by people to further ensure no spread of the virus.



Tags:

More Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Stories

calendarCalendar of Events

Ads