5 things: Congress looks to loosen school food regs during coronavirus emergency

Each Friday Food Management compiles a list that highlights five things you probably missed in the onsite foodservice news that week and why you should care about them.

Here’s your list for the week of March 9:

A bipartisan bill to protect students’ access to school meal benefits during school closures related to COVID-19 was unveiled in Congress. The COVID–19 Child Nutrition Response Act will create a nationwide waiver authority that would allow school officials to distribute food in any number of settings across all nutrition programs and allow for flexibility on meal components if food supply or procurement is disrupted.

Read more: Bipartisan bill introduced to protect access to school meals during closures

With companies urging staff able to do so to work from home during the coronavirus emergency, will this become more common as employers and employees get used to it? That certainly has implications for onsite dining at those businesses. This article from CNBC examines the trend, with a leadership and communication expert saying that he thought “the outbreak of the coronavirus has the potential to make working from home more common practice.” The expert went on to say that more companies would follow the lead of tech giant Twitter and Google in allowing (or asking) employees to work from home, which he said could “shift workplace dynamics.”

Related:5 things: Chicago Public School bans home-brought food over marijuana concerns

Read more: The coronavirus could actually make working from home more commonplace

Fewer visitors to retirement communities and senior living centers means less retail dining revenue for their onsite cafes and restaurants, but the threat of coronavirus infection is encouraging just that as two leading industry groups and the federal government are now telling family and friends to stay away from nursing homes and assisted living centers as the fast-spreading coronavirus continues to make inroads in the United States.

The worry: Though younger people can have a COVID-19 infection without symptoms, a visit to spread good cheer to a frail relative can become deadly among a more vulnerable population, according to Mark Parkinson, president and chief executive officer of the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living. Both are based in Washington, D.C.

Read more: Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Centers Told to Bar Most Visitors

Related:5 things: #RealCollege survey from Temple University’s Hope Center for College, Community and Justice shows significant food and housing insecurity among college students nationwide

For our most up-to-date coverage, visit the coronavirus homepage.

As the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic continues to spread, hospitals in China have turned to a trio of robots to help halt the spread of the flu-type virus. The robots include a food delivery robot, sanitizing robot and directional guiding robot that can help people avoid unnecessary human contact, hopefully preventing further spread of the virus.

The food delivery robot is responsible for delivering meals to patients, alongside medical supplies and other “daily necessities.” In doing so, it helps avoid cross-infection, while also reducing the workload for frontline medical staff. The sanitizing robot, meanwhile, assists in cleaning hospitals, thereby stopping interactions with unwanted germs. Finally, the guiding robot can direct patients between different hospital departments. Able to map spaces and determine its own position within them, this guiding robot then plans an optimal path toward its target location.

Read more: In China’s hospitals, robots are helping to halt the spread of coronavirus

Here’s a fairly novel way to reduce potential coronavirus spread…

Sichuan Impression, a Chinese restaurant with three locations in Southern California. is not taking any chances when it comes to protecting staff and customers from exposure to coronavirus. Before customers are allowed to sit down for a meal, a member of the waitstaff takes their temperature using an infrared thermometer and anyone without a fever is then taken inside to their table.

Lily Lei, the owner of the restaurant, implemented the new policy at the end of January for all three units, with the policy applying to both customers and staff.

So far, she says the majority of people have cooperated with the policy.

“They understand this is a protection for everybody here, my employee and all of the customers here,” Lei said. “They can enjoy lunch or dinner here.”

Read more: Tustin Restaurant Checking Temperatures Before Serving Customers In Response To Coronavirus Outbreak

Bonus: Whitsons introduces grab-and-go reimbursable school meals packaged in 100% plant-based, compostable containers

Contact Mike Buzalka at [email protected]