China Guangzhou officials banned eating at restaurants, but allowed online ordering and buying to prevent pneumonia.

According to yesterday's announcement, restaurants in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, southern China, had to stop serving food on the spot. Diners can order food online and by phone, or go to a takeaway store. However, officials encouraged the form of ordering food online and by phone and delivered to homes.

Many people in Guangzhou and across the country began to return to work earlier this week after the long Chinese New Year holiday due to corona pneumonia (Covid-19). The ban only applies to restaurants and office workers who can still have lunch at the company's canteen.

Going to a yum cha restaurant, or drinking tea and eating dim sum, is an important part of Guangzhou's culture.

"Even when China suffered a famine from 1959 to 1961, I remembered that the restaurant was still open. I was very surprised when officials issued a ban. I thought the disease must be really serious before Guangzhou could introduce it. out of this measure, "said He Zhijian, 73.

Guangzhou, with more than 15 million people, is one of China's largest cities and a busy commercial port. The Covid-19 outbreak started in Wuhan in December 2019, then spread to all of China's 31 provinces. Covid-19 is now present in 26 countries and territories, killing 1,489 people and more than 65,000 infected.

Countries with nCoV-infected patients. Click on image to see details.