Prof. Jeffrey Farber, an adjunct professor of food microbiology in the Department of Food Science, spoke to several news outlets about COVID-19 safety during patio season.

CBC News interviewed Farber on the topic, and he offered several steps that bars and restaurants can take to ensure safe patio dining during the pandemic.

Farber’s recommendations included maintaining appropriate physical distancing between tables and a limit of five people per table, limiting contact between servers and patrons, and using hand sanitizer before and after eating.

“The concept of the masks is: ‘you protect me and I protect you.’ We know they are not foolproof but they can help reduce transmission,” he said. He cautioned that there is no way to completely eliminate the risk of transmitting the virus.

Farber also spoke with CTVNews.ca on the topic, as well as the National Post.

Farber is a food microbiologis and the former director of the Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety.