~ from the Office of Neighborhoods

On March 23, 2020, the Knox County Health Department issued a “Safer at Home” order, instructing all citizens to stay home and practice physical distancing to aid in reducing the spread of COVID-19.

Since the order went into effect, folks have come up with creative ways to support local businesses.  This support is valuable and encouraged but not if it’s at the risk of public heath. If your neighborhood plans to host a food truck, please follow social distancing by enacting the following practices.
* Neighbors should not be congregating in a social manner around the food truck and dining together. Inviting a food truck to come to your neighborhood should not be considered a special social event or neighborhood block party.

* Think of the food truck like a delivery truck. Only ONE person from each family should go to the food truck to pick up the food. The food should be taken to your own home to be consumed.

* Each food truck should have one person outside of the unit to make sure that people are not congregating. The food trucks should have cones or other types of markings spaced 6 feet apart to show where customers need to be in line.

* Food trucks should be providing individual condiments. You should not share from a central self-service location.

* Food trucks should NOT provide customers cutlery or napkins with the food.

* Please do not go outside to get food from the food truck if you are not feeling well.

* Remember to disinfect your hands after completing the transaction of food and money and before eating.

Proper interaction with food trucks during this time is a win-win. However, if the food truck community and the neighborhoods are not able to help in the efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19, there may be an order to stop all mobile vending until the “Safer at Home” order has been lifted.

Thank you for doing your part to keep everyone healthy and safe in our community!

If you have questions, please contact Debbie Sharp at dsharp@knoxvilletn.gov.