COVID-19 Food Supply Safety, June 15

CHW release – Coos Health & Wellness would like to address concerns around food supply safety from processing plants, fisheries, grocery stores, and other food facilities. Currently there is no evidence of food, food containers, or food packaging being associated with transmission of COVID-19. Unlike foodborne gastrointestinal (GI) viruses like norovirus and hepatitis A that often make people ill through contaminated food, SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, is a virus that causes respiratory illness and not gastrointestinal illness, and foodborne exposure to this virus is not known to be a route of transmission. It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads. If you are concerned about contamination of food or food packaging, wash your hands after handling food packaging, after removing food from the packaging, before you prepare food for eating and before you eat. It’s always important to follow the 4 key steps of food safety – clean, separate, cook, and chill. Please remember that it is up to us, as a community, to be the best public health stewards we can be. If you have any questions regarding COVID-19, please visit our website HERE for the most recent guidance, or email us at covid19.questions@chw.coos.or.us and we will work to respond to your question in a timely manner.