Virtual Food Safety Inspections During the COVID-19 Pandemic

October 29, 2020

Beginning in March 2020, the rapid implementation of COVID-19 social distancing and stay-at-home orders required many food establishments to adopt takeout and/or food delivery models. To ensure that establishments were abiding by food safety rules and to protect the health of professionals who inspect these facilities, multiple state health agencies implemented virtual inspection protocols. This brief overviews virtual protocols from Hawaii, Virginia, and South Carolina to provide other state and territorial health agencies examples of how these inspections are performed.

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