With Modification, Buffets Should Be Allowed

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At long last, Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that meetings, seminars, courses and training can now be conducted, some three months after the Movement Control Order was introduced on March 18.

However, such gatherings must adhere to new standard operating procedures, including no buffet meals for participants. But it would be time-consuming if 20 to 50 participants had to wait for ala carte meals to be served during the lunch hour.

Buffet meals normally consist a large variety of ready-to-eat foods spread over many counters for diners to serve themselves. Buffets are popular because large number of people can have their meals within the shortest time or eat to their heart’s content.

There is no real need to ban buffet meals altogether. While previous arrangements ought to be discontinued, the practice of scooping up food to place on diners’ plates could be modified to ensure they are not exposed to contamination.

It would be better to allow diners the freedom to choose what they want to eat from a large variety available. But unlike before, all the dishes must be kept inside one or more large transparent display cases accessible only by restaurant staff manning the counter.

The aim of ‘no buffet meals’ is just to deny customers from handling serving utensils such as tongs, ladles and bread knives, and also to prevent them from coming too close to foods on open display, as some diners may cough, sneeze or burp unintentionally.

Such unhygienic acts could scatter droplets on the food, utensils, and other surfaces. If coronaviruses are present, those coming into contact could be infected. Covid-19 in aerosol form floating in the air could also be breathed in when masks are removed while eating.

Six or even eight people may be seated at a round table in the past during a seminar or for a meal, but it is now better to limit to four. A standard size seminar table allows three participants to be seated closely and comfortably together but should now be limited to two.

After a long hiatus, many surviving hotels are hungry and ready for business. Apart from having the guest rooms suitably prepared, the function rooms must also have been thoroughly disinfected with all furniture and equipment sanitized.

It is now up to various organizations in both public and private sectors to start organizing meetings, seminars, courses and training. Reviving our economy requires exchange of ideas that lead to decision-making for plans to be rolled out.

The views expressed here are strictly those of The True Net reader YS Chan from Petaling Jaya.