Sibu council warns eateries to step up hygiene

A recyclable item collection centre in Taman Indah, Sibu.

SIBU: Enforcement officers from Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) are conducting daily checks on eateries to see if they are implementing health safety measures in view of the Covid-19 outbreak.

SMC public health and municipal services chairman Jenny Ting said food handlers were required to abide by the requirements as set out in their business licence.

This includes wearing apron and gloves at all times. She also warned food outlets against throwing unwanted cooking oil into the drain.

“They must ensure that their grease traps are in good working order. There should be proper maintenance of the grease trap so that it functions properly, ” she said.

The operators must also place soap or detergent in the toilet

for customers to wash their hands.

Ting said they must also provide hot water for customers to sanitise cutlery.To the public, she told them to take personal hygiene as a top priority.

Meanwhile, on segregation of household waste, she expressed disappointment that many were still not practising it or claimed to be unaware that the council had been collecting recyclable materials from households.

“We want the people to do waste segregation at home. We will hold talks to educate the public on how waste segregation should be done, ” she added.Ting said the council had been collecting domestic recyclable waste on every first and 15th day of the month for many years now “but most people are still not aware of this”.

The council operates recyclable waste collection centres in several housing estates.

Last year, the council collected a total of 9,000kg of recyclable waste which amounted to RM2,400. Proceeds from the sale of the waste were later donated to Sibu Kidney Foundation.