During the shutdown of businesses during the state's Safer-At-Home order, Oneida County Health Department continues to work with schools and businesses offering food and other services.
Environmental Health Specialist Todd Troskey says Lakeland Union High School in Minocqua was the first school in Oneida county to ask for a virtual school food safety program inspection, and they may have been the first in the entire state to receive a virtual inspection. Several districts in the Northwoods are providing meals to students now away from school because of the health emergency.
He says rather than an in-person visit, they do what they can over the Internet to make sure the kitchens are meeting new procedures because of COVID-19...
"Right now, we're doing all that we can, working remotely, to help insure that the school food service is providing safe food for the students..."
Troskey helped develop the guideline document that was on the leading edge of this type of remote inspection. He says frequent and thorough hand washing is critical.
The Safer at Home order allows some facilities such as restaurants to remain open to provide take-out and delivery of food. Lodging establishments provide needed housing for construction workers and medical staff and campgrounds for people seeking to get into the outdoors. After a shutdown order, the department loosened restrictions for campgrounds.
