As France enters its second day of nationwide lockdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with travel restrictions in place, home meal deliveries are expected to surge. French authorities have issued clear guidelines for professionals to ensure public safety.
France is now on day two of confinement. The latest COVID-19 figures report 7,730 confirmed cases and 175 deaths, with 2,575 hospitalizations—including 699 critical cases in intensive care. While movement is severely restricted, demand for food deliveries is likely to rise significantly.
To address this, the French government released official recommendations on March 15, 2020, targeted at restaurateurs, meal preparers, and delivery personnel. "Contactless delivery" is emphasized as a critical practice.
Authorities remind us that COVID-19 spreads primarily through respiratory droplets from coughs or sneezes, making close contact a key risk. Contactless deliveries require specific steps: Restaurants must designate a separate recovery area for meals, isolated from the kitchen. Staff place food directly into the delivery bag left open by the driver. The delivery person alerts the customer, maintains at least a 2-meter distance from the door, completes the drop-off, and departs immediately. Anyone showing symptoms must stay home.
All involved—restaurants, preparers, and drivers—must uphold strict hygiene: frequent handwashing, covering coughs or sneezes with an elbow or disposable tissue, and avoiding handshakes or kisses. Thoroughly clean and disinfect food-contact surfaces, utensils, and high-touch items like pens and door handles.
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