Dubai: Dubai Municipality on Sunday that it has fined and closed 25 food establishments within 45 days from the beginning of September to mid-October due to noncompliance with the precautionary measures for COVID-19. The Municipality had also warned 1,579 food outlets during the same period.
“The food establishments in the emirate have been showing a great level of commitment to the procedures and requirements set by the Municipality to confront COVID-19 during the recent period, compared to last month,” said Sultan Al Tahir, head of Food Inspection Section.
Field visits
He attributed the reason to the increase in campaigns and inspection visits that Municipality inspectors make on a daily basis. The municipality inspectors carried out 10,141 field visits to food establishments in Dubai during the past 45 days, said Al Tahir. While 8,404 food establishments had complied with the procedures set by the health authorities to curb the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, 25 food establishments were fined and closed for not adhering to the procedures.
Sultan Al Tahir, head of Food Inspection Section
Not adhering to social distancing, not wearing personal safety equipment such as masks and gloves while preparing foodstuffs, as well as not using approved sterilisation and disinfection materials, were the most prominent violations that were detected, said Al Tahir.
Temporary closure
The official explained that the decision to close the violating establishments is temporary until they rectify their conditions. During the monitoring visits, Al Tahir said the municipality inspectors checked records of the health of workers, and the sterilisation and disinfection operations record. They also make sure that food safety requirements are applied during receiving materials, preparation and storage of food and the prepared food items are displayed at healthy temperature, and hygiene and sterilisation procedures are applied, to prevent cross-contamination and pest control.
He pointed out that the municipality checks all food establishments in the emirate with different business activities, such as restaurants, cafeterias, cafés that provide food, groceries, supermarkets, and bakeries. It also conducts inspections and monitoring of delivery vehicles to ensure that they are sterilised, maintain food safety measures after delivery, and delivery boys change their masks and gloves after each order.
Massage parlours, fitness centres, salon shut
Meanwhile, the civic body said it had also closed two massage centres, two fitness centres and one salon for failing to comply with the precautionary measures after 2,3664 inspection visits on October 15.
The massage centres are located at International City while the fitness centres are located in Al Gharoud and Al Quoz Industrial Area 1. The salon is in Abu Hail.
While the five institutions were fined, warnings were issued to 86 others. Meanwhile 2,268 institutions inspected were found complying with the safety requirements, the civic body said on Twitter.
