Guide for restaurants and bars at blue level

On Monday, June 15, 2020, in response to Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’s latest amendment to the CNMI COVID-19 Emergency Directives, the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp.’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention has transitioned from operating under Community Vulnerability Level Yellow to Community Vulnerability Level Blue, which allows restaurants and bars to serve dine-in customers at 50% of originally permitted occupancy limit in accordance with supplemental regulatory guidance from the CHCC. 

The CHCC-EHDP, formerly known as the CHCC-Bureau of Environmental Health, regulates food handlers and sanitation permitting, among other responsibilities, and sets forth rules for restaurants operating at Level Blue, and has begun on-site visits to restaurants to issue certifications of compliance for dine-in services.

Restaurants and bars during all community vulnerability levels must adhere to the following: 

• Temperature screening of all employees and patrons prior to entering the establishment for dine-in services. 

• Enforce hand washing, covering coughs and sneezes, and use of face coverings by employees when near other employees and customers.

• Ensure adequate supplies to support healthy hand hygiene practices for both employees and customers.

• Provide physical guides, such as tape on floors or sidewalks to ensure that customers remain at least 6 feet apart in queues or ask customers to wait in their cars or away from the establishment while waiting to pick up food.

• Post signs on how to stop the spread of COVID-19, how to properly wash hands, provide notice that no one with symptoms will be permitted inside, and how to properly wear a face covering. Sample signage is available for download at https://www.chcc.gov.mp/coronavirusinformation.php

• Post “one-way” flow signs for entrance and “one-way” flow signs for exit to maintain crowd control.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

• Wash, rinse, and sanitize all surfaces that come in contact with food after each use.

• Send employees with symptoms home. 

• Discontinue preset tables—condiments, utensils, and tableware must be removed from table.

• Ensure that all staff complete online ServSafe trainings specific to COVID-19 transmission reduction within one week of offering services.

• Restaurants/bars which offer dine-in services during Level Blue must adhere to the following additional rules:

• Limit occupancy to 50% of their originally permitted occupancy limit.

• Maintain records of one point of contact for each party for contact tracing purposes.

• Limit parties dining in together to no more than six people at restaurants and two people at bars. 

• All parties must remain at least 6 feet apart and are encouraged to use outdoor seating whenever possible. 

• Do not offer self-service food or drinks, such as buffet-style dining or beverage refill stations.

Restaurant/bar owners can request an inspection for compliance certification online at the CHCC’s COVID-19 page at chcc.gov.mp or can call the CHCC Environmental Health and Disease Prevention at 664-4870/2/3 between 7:30am and 4:30pm, Monday through Friday.

Restaurant/bar patrons should look for posted certification of compliance with level blue requirements. Valid certificates of compliance are signed by CHCC-EHDP inspectors and include the restaurant’s sanitation permit number for reference. If you believe a restaurant is operating out of compliance with the rules, you may contact 664-4677 to alert regulators. The CHCC EHDP may order an establishment to close if it is found to be non-compliant.

Restaurant patrons should plan to make reservations for dine-in service, limit parties to six people, and respect a 6-foot distance from other parties dining in. The CHCC recommends that restaurant patrons choose outdoor seating if it is available, and see if the restaurant will accept food orders ahead of time to reduce your wait time.

A listing of restaurants open for dine-in service will be updated daily at the CHCC’s COVID-19 page of its website chcc.gov.mp. (PR)