On November 6th, the modified Enforcement Decree of The Food Sanitation Act which forces workers at restaurant to wear masks became effective to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.

Previously, the personnel related to food industry were only obliged to wear hygiene caps according to the former Act. However, by the revised Act, all people who are dealing with cooking have to wear masks to prevent dish contamination and droplet infection. A business that violates the rule can be fined up to 200,000 won for a first offence, 400,000 won for a second violation and 500,000 won for a third. Secondly, compared to the former Act, the new article that the owners should provide hand sanitizers to customers if infectious alert levels go higher was established. A business that infringes the rule for the first time will just be given a correction order. However, it can be ordered to suspend business for seven days and 15 days if it gets caught violating the order two or three times. Thirdly, the manager who is in charge of the food service business must take immediate measure such as quarantine and test their employee whose symptoms lead to a suspicion of infection.

Jo Cheon-Ho (Manager, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety) said, “The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety establishes a legal basis to utilize Food Promotion Fund which is allocated to each local autonomous government in supporting hand sanitizer and masks to restaurant owners who have been through hard times. Moreover, after the revised Act is implemented, we expect to allay people’s concerns about epidemic by improving the standard of hygiene management in restaurants where it is very close to real life.”  

By Lee Dong-Hoon, Cub Reporter

0602nymph@pusan.ac.kr