Guangdong started resuming dine-in services on February 20th. The government requires restaurants to resume services based on a graded scheme which classifies different regions across the province into 4 levels and regulates the respective services that a restaurant can offer.

According to the Guangzhou Municipal Government’s latest announcement on January 21st, the present levels for each district are as follow:

According to Guangdong Provincial Government’s announcement on January 18th, major cities across the province also released management levels:

At present, no areas in Guangdong are classified as level 1.

The scheme requires restaurants to offer services based on the management level of their district:

Level 2

Restaurants should suspend dine-in services in their main room. They can provide dine-in services in private rooms for a maximum of ten people, with a further limit of one table in one room only. Table-sharing is forbidden. Restaurants should record the name and contact number of at least one customer at each table.

Level 3

Restaurants can provide limited dine-in services in their main room. They should enforce temperature checks and require customers to wear masks before and after the meal. They should disinfect the table after each customer, waiting 10 minutes before seating new customers. They should also control the number of customers to avoid crowding. Information recording is strictly required. Table sharing is forbidden.

Level 4

Restaurants can fully resume dine-in services.

Although the scheme has eased the restrictions, some regions remain cautious about resuming dine-in services. Haizhu district in Guangzhou suspended dine-in services again on February 26th after the release of the municipal document on 21st. Xiangzhou district in Zhuhai released an announcement on February 21st, which stipulates that restaurants can still only provide take-away and delivery services. Dine-in services are prohibited. Gaoming District in Foshan issued a notice on the 23rd and required restaurants to resume services based on the criterion for level 3 although the district is classified as level 4.

Cheng Gang, secretary general of the Guangdong Restaurant Association, said that Guangdong has not fully resumed the dine-in services yet. The management level of a region should be continually adjusted based on the actual situation. “We hope the management could help restaurants get through this difficult time and feed the demand of nearby communities.”

The government encouraged restaurants to provide diversified and innovative delivery and take-away services in the level 2 and 3 regions.

Food ordering tips during the epidemic:

1. If ordering take-away or delivery, you should avoid cold and raw dishes such as Baiqie chicken, salad and sushi. Stir-fried dishes with eggs are also risky.

2. It’s best to consume the food within 2 hours. Otherwise you should heat it up thoroughly using a microwave before eating.

3. Be aware of the expiry date and producer’s details on the packaging. Do not purchase any wild animals or process live poultry at home.

Author: Jasmine, Zoey

Editor: Keane, Simon