Doha Municipality has issued administrative decisions to close some 20 food establishments across Doha and the Industrial Area for periods ranging from 5 to 30 days, it has been announced.
The Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) said in a yesterday statement that the closure orders came following inspection campaigns carried out by Doha Municipality’s health control section at 762 food establishments.
A total of 33 violation reports were also issued during the campaigns for non-compliance with rules, according to the MME.
More than 20 food health inspectors took part in the campaigns over the past two weeks to ensure that food establishments were complying with health and safety regulations and taking the necessary preventive and precautionary measures.
Inspectors have intensified the checking of vehicles transporting foodstuff to and from the Industrial Area through some central checkpoints. Six inspectors work there from 5am until 10pm throughout the week, except on Friday and Saturday, to ensure that the transported food is safe and that the vehicles, drivers and porters strictly follow the relevant health standards and conditions. These include wearing protective face masks and gloves, maintaining personal hygiene, ensuring that the vehicles comply with health and safety requirements, and maintaining the necessary temperature for freezers, chillers.
Besides, the inspectors make sure that all workers have valid health certificates.
In a related development, food health inspection tours in Umm Salal Municipality over the past two weeks resulted in the issuance of seven violations reports and administrative decisions to shut down two food establishments for seven days each for failing to abide by the necessary health, safety and preventive measures.
The inspection tours covered slaughterhouses and Al Mazrouah Yard for local agriculture produce. In general, food safety awareness and inspection campaigns have been intensified in the municipality.
Meanwhile, Al Shamal Municipality’s health control inspectors continue to carry out intensive checks at food outlets and facilities there. They have stressed the need to strictly abide by all relevant precautionary and preventive measures and advised outlets to hand over goods purchased by customers outside the shop. They have also asked the outlets to reduce the number of visiting customers by expanding their home delivery operations.
Besides, workers have been instructed to wear protective facemasks and gloves at all times during work, with the inspectors also checking their health certificates. Besides, inspectors and veterinarians maintain a constant presence to receive any related complaints and handle them accordingly.
Similar efforts have been made by inspectors of Al Daayen Municipality, while also stressing that the disinfectants used there by food workers are classified as ‘food grade’. The inspectors also highlighted the need for these shops to constantly monitor the body temperature of their workers to avoid any potential Covid-19 infection among them.
Other daily precautionary measures highlighted by them include sterilising surfaces, equipment and tools, and ensuring that the hand sanitiser dispensers work at the entrances and different food departments, the statement points out.
Yesterday, Doha Municipality’s health control section conducted an inspection campaign in the Al Messila area and LuLu Hypermarket located there. All fresh food sections were checked, including meat, fish, cheese and milk, vegetables and fruits, ready-meal kitchen, dry food display areas, storehouses and the reception, the MME said. In addition, the inspectors checked the validity of workers’ health certificates and ensured that the staff complied with the new preventive measures, while providing customers with gloves and hand sanitisers in the fruits and vegetables area.