Don't allow persons with fever & cold to handle food: Rlys

New Delhi: Days after removing curtains and blankets from the airconditioned coaches, the railways on Tuesday further scaled up its measures against coronavirus and has issued an advisory to all zonal railways and its catering arm IRCTC to not allow persons with fever, cough, running nose to be involved in food handling.

The Railway Board on Sunday had directed all zonal railways and general managers to remove blankets and curtains from the AC coaches of the passenger trains as a precautionary measure and also directed proper disinfection and cleaning of the train coaches.

Taking a step further, the railways on Tuesday directed the Indian Rail Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and the zonal managers to take preventive measures on catering establishments.

In an order to all Railways Principal Chief Commercial Managers and the Managing Director of the IRCTC, Phillip Varghese, Director Tourism and Catering Railway Board, said, "No staff having symptoms such as fever, cough, running nose or difficulty in breathing should be deployed in the business of food handling."

Varghese said staff of catering units should be directed to maintain personal hygiene as per the food safety norms of FSSAI. "All staff members should wear a face mask, hand gloves and head gear. while dealing with food production and services to passengers, the staff is advised to wash their hands with soap frequently, avoid contact with persons having coughing or sneezing, avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth. Hand gloves should be changed frequently and disposed of in a closed dustbin," Verghese said.

He also asked the supervisors deployed in catering establishments to maintain personal hygiene and counsel their subordinates.

The staff involved in food production have been told to wash their clothes regularly and wear a clean uniform.

Varghese said disinfectants should be used on frequently touched objects and surfaces such as billing and POS machines, coffee vending machines, counter top, door handles, tables, chairs and freeze handles by using a cleaning spray.

The Ministry of Health on Tuesday said that so far 126 cases of Covid-19 have been reported in India, 12 up from Tuesday tally of 114.