It’s no doubt by now you know the effect Coronavirus has had on many lives and industries around the world. State governments have introduced social distancing laws and limiting travel outside of homes, forcing many to start working from home, all with the aim to stop the spread through human contact and flatten the curve. So what does all this mean for food delivery couriers? The Australian Government has deemed food delivery to be an essential service during this period as the demand for home delivered food increases due to the restrictions. Here are three ways that you can keep you and others safe while still working as a food delivery courier.
1. Maintain good personal and equipment hygiene
Coronavirus can spread in a range of ways including but not limited to: close contact with an infectious person, contact with droplets from an infected person's cough or sneeze, touching infected objects or surfaces and then touching your mouth or face. Using soap and hand sanitizer can kill the virus so it’s a good idea to keep a small bottle on you throughout the day. Avoid touching your face and be sure to wash your hands before and after every delivery. It is also a good idea to wipe down your bike and insulated delivery bag with anti-bacterial wipes after a shift.
2. Practice social distancing
Person to person transmission is the most common way the virus can spread so increasing the distance between you and potential carriers of the virus is very important especially as you come into contact with many different people every day. When waiting for a pickup and at all other times, make sure to maintain at least 1.5m between you and other people to help stop the spread. If you have come in contact with a suspected carrier, please self-isolate and contact a doctor for advice.
3. Use contactless delivery
Most if not all food delivery platforms are now offering contactless delivery. Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Menulog are encouraging customers to include delivery instructions for food to be left on the front doorstep. The best practice here is to place the food bag on the front doorstep, step back 1.5m and wait for the customer to pick up their order. Doing this will limit person to person contact and minimise the risk of spread.
Remember, laws and restrictions vary from state to state however, a few rules that everyone still must practice are social distancing, self-isolation if diagnosed and good hygiene. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.