COVID-19 Symptoms after Eating Al Fresco, Pick-up or Delivery? Rate and Trace©

If the service economy is “Open for Business” shouldn’t they also be open for inspection? Health agencies have long instituted the ABCs of rating the food sector. Still, Reports of pests munching on packages or leaving vermin and/or cockroach droppings still earns food facilities an “A” grade. Think about that when eating a candy bar or opening a bag of chips.

At the City of Newport Beach, I assisted Community Development where its three main divisions, Building, Planning, and Code Enforcement deal primarily with permits, zoning, land development, and code violations.

Code Enforcement, whose responsibility is to enforce Municipal Codes, would sometimes mistakenly receive calls reporting foodborne illnesses as restaurant violations. Complaints for foodborne illnesses are redirected to the county (see links below).

One can search Restaurant Inspections and find records for food facilities within the last 2 years, including Inspector Initiated Closures and Owner Initiated Closures. But what about closures due to COVID-19?  

California State Government response to COVID-19, as of July 1^st, 2020, has been simply to close indoor operations for restaurants. But curbside pick-up only adds to the complexity of inspections raising the question of whether these eateries can be categorized as “street vendors?” Will public health agencies implement new ratings? When and how will businesses be inspected? What protocols are to be followed? How will they enforce codes? 

It is highly unlikely that new policies and procedures will be put in place, at least for now. Why? Archaic systems, current health risk, and lack of funding have given state and county officials a justification for leaving it up to food facilities to monitor themselves. In other words, responsibility falls on businesses and not local or state government.

The current mandate directive reads:

“Please be advised, the food facility must have a process to investigate COVID+ cases, alert the local public health department, and identify and isolate close workplace contacts of infected employees until they are tested. To report a COVID+ employee at your food facility, please call our hotline at (714) 433-6418 or email us at ehealth@ochca.com.”

In other words, owners of food facilities, your employees are your problem and responsibility. Just be sure to supply us the data. Sure seems convenient for government, but who will monitor and investigate the food facilities and alert the public?

→ Where can one obtain online real time info of food facilities where customers developed COVID-19 symptoms after eating al fresco, pick-up or deliver?

I called their hotline. Response: “We don’t divulge that information.” Question: How can the public obtain that information? “You need to make a records request.” Question: Processing time? Response: My call was transferred to a recording with information on getting tested for COVID-19.  America’s experiment continues to focus on tracking its citizens.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website provides “Interactive Data” and “COVID Data Tracker” where the goal appears to be to report and monitor cases, contact tracing, quarantine those infected, and calculate staffing needs.

Government is simply reacting to the problem and not going to the source. Key is to proactively trace locations people are contracting COVID-19 symptoms.

Rate and Trace©

Proposal: Rate and Trace© can be utilized as an anonymous user friendly app. An interactive network system can be set up where people who develop COVID-19 symptoms after their visit or food order, rate and trace food facilities. Its built in counterpart “Track” devise keeps an up to date status in real time of traced locations and company names.

As it stands, there are online rating platforms of the service economy. If you can comment on customer experience, why not rate the business and trace it for COVID-19?

How does it work? Using Rate and Trace© simply click on the “trace” box. In the search field enter name of food facility you ate at, picked up your order or had delivered directly to you. Addresses come up, click on location.

Online delivery services are just as easy. Sure, some locales are part of a franchise and you may not know exact location your food came from. No problem. You have their name and so they can’t hide under the brand “umbrella.” Under the same brand name, it’s “One for all, and all for one.”  If one fails, they all fail. System keeps an up to date status in real time of traced locations and company names.

Once confirmation is made, communication to three links is established:

1. Link to the county/state agency https://www.ocgov.com/gov/health/eh/food/retail/retail.asp  connects to https://www.ocfoodinfo.com/illness) and are supplied stats for inspections, etc.: Food facility name, date, time, and location customer ate at, picked up their order or who delivered directly; Or, name of outside delivery service.

2. A second link connects to the local agency that holds property jurisdiction over the business (building permits, etc.).

3. A third link connects to nearby testing sites to walk in or schedule a test (optional).

Alongside the “trace” box is a second box “track” that keeps an updated account of businesses that were traced. Users, in the past you easily clicked the “like” box for your favorite eateries. Isn’t it ideal to have a system that traces locations where customers reported COVID-19 symptoms so you can be informed and track them before you order?  

Sure government agencies reactive archaic system may come up with an app to alert you after testing that you may have been exposed to a contagion. But for the rest of us, we prefer high-tech preemptive measures tracing in real-time food facilities before eating out or ordering from and avoid getting the virus in the first place.  

Systems and programs tailored to the “health” industry and transnational corporations where services and products having adverse health effects on the public can also be implemented.

How? Utilizing A.I., downloading information pulled from research, litigation public records, and customer/patient public information and integrated into a real-time application which analyzes data to rate and trace services and product experiences.   

Implications for Employers?

Concern of negative implications for employers is understandable. But just how concerned are they for the public?  Looks like they’ve taken precautions of their own given their actions.   

Workers and Consumers, when returning to work, eating out or ordering food consider that U.S. small businesses have reportedly been indemnified against lawsuits resulting from employees or customers contracting COVID-19.  Hmm, does this mean you will be forced to buy life insurance? Sure feels like being held at gunpoint, “Your job or your life.”

Employers appear to have taken a page out of the health and medical sector that has for more than a decade required patients sign Arbitration Forms (no trial and no courtroom = no lawsuit). Ironically, retired judges have been contracted for Arbitration Hearings to make the final “verdict” and of course pocket some extra money.

So the question remains: Why would you go through all the hassle and expense of wiping down groceries and packages, overstocking on cleaning products, just so that in one moment you “grub it” or go out to eat and get “sick as dog” or worse contract the virus? How many food workers are actually getting tested consistently and asked to stay home if sick?

Important to note that businesses other than restaurants are being included in Food Facility Inspections. A July 31, 2020 complaint investigation resulted in the closure of a particular pharmacy location belonging to a chain of pharmacies.

“Inspector’s Comments: The following food items were observed to be chewed on by mice and/ or have mice droppings located on the packaging…” Common violations at other locations pointed to vermin and cockroaches. Still, even after the complaints and inspections were executed, facilities would be scored on average 97 with an “A” rating. Germs and bacteria are one thing and viruses quite another. 

Given my experiences at City Hall and State Superior Court, I am not naïve to think that a tracing/tracking system as I’ve proposed of proactively informing the public of customer complaints of COVID-19 symptoms after eating food from specific locations will be instituted. Still, I am confident that changes, though late, will ultimately need to be established as the public is becoming more aware of how their government’s archaic systems need to be updated.

 → Economic downturn is unsustainable. Preventable deaths are NOT acceptable.

Testing, Tracking and Vaccines

COVID-19 has shined a large spotlight on those most negatively impacted now and for years to come. Brothers and Sisters, you’re fully aware as to the environment of where you eat, work, and live.

Even if an app is created to alert you that you may have been infected, how easily and quickly can you be tested with a reliable test? More importantly, treated with a safe and effective vaccine?

Sure, it’s easy for politicians and business owners to say “Just eat, shop, and go to work. You play the lotto right? Well, think of it as a game of “hit or miss.”

Testing and Tracking. Key is to have a consensus on a reliable test, easily accessible, and follow-up protocols. Tracking relies on aggregated accessible data in real-time across the spectrum of public and private sectors. Such steps are not novel. Courier delivery service centers on tracking logistics.

Tracking humans? A look at Asia and other countries, one finds effective models. Data collectors have been banking on this for quite some time.

Vaccines are the real challenge. Will the vaccine(s) selected be safe, effective and immunize you from contracting the virus? Or will it simply be a mild “treatment” or worse a placebo? Here’s where it gets interesting and revealing!