Students now sit separately to have their lunch in Hohhot, in Inner Mongolia. [Photo/Hohhot Evening News]

A total of 43 primary and middle schools in Hohhot, capital city of North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, now enjoy door-to-door school meals services, involving more than 10,000 students, according to a report in the Hohhot Evening News.

To ensure food safety during the novel coronavirus epidemic prevention and control period, the catering companies responsible for the school meals preparations and deliveries have taken extra steps.

In order to ensure that the staff change their masks every day, the catering companies have organized sufficient supplies.

The companies have also introduced infrared temperature measurement barriers. If staff are detected with abnormal body temperatures and employees are found without a mask, they cannot enter.

Those with abnormal body temperatures will also be taken to a medical observation room for further observation. Those whose body temperature does not drop after a certain period are then brought to an isolation room.

After entering the locker room, staff are required to wear gloves, hoods and have their boots and other personal apparel inspected. They can only enter the workshops after thorough disinfection, which includes an air shower system.

Food box disinfection, food processing and carton boxing of meals are all completed under aseptic conditions.

After that, the prepared meals are directly loaded onto delivery vehicles whose compartments are sealed with lead sealing equipment, to ensure they can’t be opened during delivery.

In addition, a health card and health code for the delivery staff must be filled in at the school receiving the consignment. After the delivery vehicle arrives at the school, the delivery employee must have their information verified and their body temperature measured before entering.