A recent decision from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry states that restaurants and cafes (or coffee shops) are only allowed to provide delivery services. These food establishments can no longer offer takeaway services until further notice.
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This decision became effective on April 21, 2020. Meanwhile, other food establishments that were ordered to close temporarily will remain closed and are not affected with this recent decision.
Restaurants and Cafes to Operate by Delivery Only
A recent precautionary measure from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry instructs restaurants and cafes (or coffee shops) to only offer delivery services. Restaurant and cafe crews are also no longer allowed to let customers inside their establishments to order takeaways. They are also not allowed to serve the food orders outside their establishments. This directive took effect on April 21, 2020, and is subject to change depending on the prevailing conditions.
See the post here:
In line with previous decisions and procedures, restaurants and cafes have been allowed to operate by only processing delivery orders according to the outlined procedures. #Qatar #YourSafetyIsMySafety pic.twitter.com/GNPoRhnXQq
— وزارة التجارة والصناعة (@MOCIQatar) April 21, 2020
In the Ministry’s Twitter post, a short video shows how to implement this new directive. Specifically, customers are no longer allowed to go to the restaurant to pick up their orders. Instead, the crew will deliver the food to the customer’s residence. Two paper bags will be provided when the order is delivered. The outer bag will remain with the crew, while the inner paper bag will be taken by the customer.
Watch the video post here:
Restaurants and cafes are allowed to operate by only delivery orders, also to ban customers from collecting orders and to close the doors of restaurants and cafes. With the continuation of the refrain of hosting customers both inside and outside. #Qatar #YourSafetyIsMySafty pic.twitter.com/1lFwJbDhXr
— وزارة التجارة والصناعة (@MOCIQatar) April 21, 2020
The Ministry also reiterated that food kiosks found in tourist areas, sports clubs, Lusail City, The Pearl and other similar locations are not included in this decision. The above mentioned establishments are not allowed to operate until further notice.
A month ago, the Ministry came out with guidelines to be observed when delivering orders to the customers. These are:
- Taking the temperature of the delivery personnel twice a day
- Wearing of gloves and face masks of the delivery personnel
- Writing the full name of the delivery crew on the order
- Sterilizing the vehicle used for delivery
- Placing the orders in disposable bags before delivering to customers
Owners of these establishments are required to follow the guidelines, and to ensure the safety of everyone. Those who violate will be penalized according to applicable rules and regulations.
This new decision, as well as other previous decisions implemented in Qatar, is part of the precautionary measures to contain the pandemic. Since the outbreak, citizens are encouraged to remain at home to prevent the further spread of infection. Those who need to leave their homes are reminded to observe safety procedures such as wearing face masks, following social distancing, and washing hands as often as possible.
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