How to protect yourself from COVID-19 while grocery shopping: MoPH
While the public in Qatar is urged to "stay home" and practice social distancing to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), some essential activities such as grocery shopping can not be avoided.
However, to ensure the public's safety while grocery shopping, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) in Qatar has highlighted some important preventive measures for shoppers to follow to protect themselves from the risk of contracting the virus.
The Ministry recommends the following preventive measures when grocery shopping:
- Limit the grocery store visits to only one person and avoid taking children
- If your household workers are doing the shopping, explain to them the precautionary measures
- Make a grocery list before leaving the house
- To reduce the number of visits, purchase enough groceries to last 1 to 2 weeks but do not over-purchase to leave stock for others
- Ensure you always leave a distance of at least 1.5 meters between yourself and others
- Ensure you disinfect carts and baskets before use, or wear disposable gloves, and throw them in a trash bin immediately after use
- Avoid touching your nose, mouth, and eyes while shopping
- Use electronic forms of payment, instead of cash. Use a tissue when entering your pin number.
- Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer (60 percent alcohol) immediately after you leave the grocery store.
- Place grocery bags in the trunk of your car and not on the seats of your car.
- When you reach your home, dispose of the grocery bags immediately and wash the purchased items.
- Ensure to disinfect and wipe the surfaces that were in contact with the grocery bags and the products that you purchased
- When you finish storing the products, wash your hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM COVID - 19 WHILE GROCERY SHOPPING?
— وزارة الصحة العامة (@MOPHQatar) March 29, 2020
#YourSafetyIsMySafety pic.twitter.com/7zwQMDSBg3
The Ministry has stressed that you should avoid grocery shopping if:
- You are experiencing any flu-like symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, and fever
- You are suffering from any chronic condition or low immunity
- You are an elderly person
For any queries, or concerns related to COVID-19 in Qatar, the public can contact a 24/7 hotline set up by the Ministry. The hotline number is 16000 and is toll-free.
Here's everything you need to know about the virus, including ways to protect yourself.
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Retailers should be advised to not allow cashiers handle cards and instead allow customers to insert the cards into PoS machines themselves. Every little thing helps.
where to buy hand sanitizer ?
"Limit the grocery store visits to only one person and avoid taking children" This should really be enforced by government and grocery stores.