A total of 45 bacteria contamination cases were detected during the inspection, and there were 18 workers infected with bacteria, including E.coli.
Speaking to Arab News, Abdul Aali Al-Sheikh, head of the Yanbu municipality, said inspection teams collected about 890 samples from restaurants, cafeterias, bakeries and outlets for soft drinks during 2011. The affected workers were barred from working at eateries until they recovered from infections. They were allowed to resume duty only after producing a fitness certificate from the Ministry of Health.
He said inspection squads from the municipality would continue raids on various eateries to ensure they are adhering to health and hygienic regulations. “The municipality is giving top priority to ensure environment health, as it is directly related to public health. Subsequently, we will intensify raids on restaurants, food warehouses, and candy stores to ensure that they are preparing dishes and keeping foodstuffs in hygienic conditions,” he said while urging citizens and foreigners to extend cooperation to the municipality in this regard through informing about those eateries that violate health and hygienic regulations.
Dr. Adel Al-Harbi, head of the environment health division at the municipality, said 488 samples were collected by the inspectors and tested at the municipality’s laboratories, while another 400 samples were tested at the ministry’s laboratories.
Among the bacteria contamination cases, it was detected that 14 were E.coli-infected ones. As a result of these findings, all workers at the eateries were subjected to laboratory tests. The municipality also took measures to prevent the disease from spreading.
Al-Harbi said owners of eateries had also been instructed to sterilize and clean their shops before allowing them to resume operations. “We directed owners of eateries where bacteria contaminations were spotted to halt functioning until sterilizing and cleaning the whole shops, their furniture, utensils and appliances. In the event of infections among the workers, we asked them to stop working until their recovery,” he said, adding that such workers were instructed to produce a certificate from the ministry that they were fit.
“In case any foreign worker is detected with chronic diseases or liver diseases like hepatitis, he will be deported. Punitive measures like jail term and fines will be slapped against eateries that were found violating the municipality’s health and hygienic regulations,” he added.
