Compliance with COVID-19 Preventive and Control Measures among Food and Drink Establishments in Bench-Sheko and West-Omo Zones, Ethiopia, 2020

INTRODUCTION: Despite the implementation of many preventive and control systems developed by governments, the spread of COVID-19 and its resulting infection rate are alarmingly increasing from time to time all over the world. In Ethiopia, public places visited by large numbers of people where preventive and control measures are poorly practiced are considered to be potentially contributing to the spread of the disease. Food and drink establishments are among the highly susceptible public establishments visited by large numbers of people who interact among themselves and with employees. Hence, this study aimed to measure the compliance with COVID-19 preventive and control measures among food and drink establishments in the selected towns of Bench-Sheko and West-Omo Zones in Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among food and drink establishments in selected towns of Bench-Sheko and West-Omo zones from May 15, 2020 to June 15, 2020. A census of all 324 food and drink establishments found in the study area was conducted, and data were obtained from managers of the establishments through face-to-face interviews. Data were entered in to Epidata manager and exported to SPSS version 24.0 for analysis. Percentage compliance score was computed to describe the level of compliance. Ethical approval was obtained from Mizan-Tepi University Institutional Review Board, and written informed consent was obtained from every participant. RESULTS: The overall compliance level with COVID-19 preventive and control measures was 55.5%. The majority (89%) of the food and drink establishments had functional hand washing facilities at the main entrance gate. Less than half of the food and drink establishments had posted written materials promoting hand washing, arranged tables and chairs in a manner that they accommodate not more than four people at once and at least 2 meters apart, carry out daily cleaning and disinfection of frequented touched surfaces, and provided education or training for their workers about COVID-19. CONCLUSION: The overall compliance level with COVID-19 preventive and control measures among food and drink establishments was very poor. Thus, it is highly recommended that the federal government of Ethiopia, the federal ministry of health, and local health authorities consider a move towards more solid, strict, and comprehensive compulsory measures, including fines that can lead up to the closure of non-compliant establishments.