Diners will not be allowed to sit face-to-face in restaurants and canteens in Beijing during the coronavirus outbreak, according to the latest government notice.
The guidelines issued by the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau also asked outlets of catering firms and canteens of government units and institutes to place dining tables at an interval of at least 1 meter.
Restaurants must strictly limit the density of diners and check their temperatures at the entrance, said the guidelines, which also demand timely disinfection of tables, doorknobs, faucets and other facilities that are regularly touched by customers.
In particular, it advocates the use of QR codes for placing orders and paying bills, a technological innovation that has already entered many Chinese eateries to raise efficiency and reduce contacts.
Catering companies are also asked to promote the use of serving chopsticks, which are still not common in many smaller eateries.
Restaurants, among others, have borne the brunt of the epidemic's economic fallout as many Chinese follow the official instructions to stay indoors and avoid gatherings. In response, many outlets have beefed up disinfection or focused on online take-out services.
The Chinese mainland has seen single-digit daily increases of indigenous COVID-19 infections for four days. Still, big cities like Beijing and Shanghai are on high alert for the increasing numbers of imported cases from abroad.
- Preventive moves enhanced amid fresh outbreaks
- Sale of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics mascot Bing DwenDwen to end on Dec. 31
- Flower displays decorate Chang’an Avenue for National Day in Beijing
- Xi replies to letter from students in teacher training program at Beijing Normal University
- China International Fair for Trade in Services concludes in Beijing
- Chinese spirit brand Moutai opens ice cream shop in Beijing
Popular Videos
Hot comments
- First apes at U.S. zoo receive COVID-19 vaccine made for animals, zoo official says
- China Life: Chinese women shine with She Power
- Foreign firms approved to offer VPN services in capital
- Homemade curling videos trending in China
- 86-year-old grandma in Hebei spends most her life on traditional cheongsam
- Winners of 2022 Inaugural WLA Prize announced
- Lantern Festival: A romantic celebration in China
- Two Chinese COVID-19 vaccine firms to supply vaccines to COVAX
- Media center for 20th CPC national congress to open on Oct. 12
- Six suspects arrested in HK for role in SE Asia job scam
Top Reviews
- Young artists recreate beauty of traditional Hanfu costume
- China releases photos of tallest tree
- English version of ‘Understanding Xi Jinping’s Educational Philosophy’ published
- China crowned in men’s team for 10th straight time at table tennis worlds
- China publishes Atlas of Wildlife in SW China
- Guangxi’s 10 Years: A Visit to China’s Qinzhou Port
- Congress delegate helped lift village out of poverty
- Expo highlights joint efforts in NEV development
- Racism stain of shame on ‘world democratic paradise’
- U.S. may face new COVID wave this upcoming winter: report