Tainan City Mayor Huang Wei-che announced that starting from July 27, the indoor dining ban will be lifted in accordance with the central government’s dining guidelines. However, eating while walking and food tasting are still prohibited. Restaurants that provide dine-in service must follow specific seating arrangements that ensure safe social distance and use partitions. Tables should be kept at least 1.5 meters apart and table-merging is not allowed. With the opening of dine-in service starting from July 27, related government agencies will also conduct compliance inspections to safeguard citizens’ health and ensure a safe dining environment for everyone.
Here are the key guidelines concerning the opening of indoor dining:
1. All food and beverage service providers are allowed to provide dine-in service under specific conditions starting from July 27.
2. Restaurants, food stalls, markets and night markets must still follow epidemic prevention and control measures, including exit-and-entry control, real-name registration, temperature-taking, and provision of alcohol for disinfection.
3. Workers in markets, night markets, and food and beverage services must wear two masks (mouth masks plus eye or face shield); ready-to-eat food must be properly covered.
4. Wedding banquets must follow the guideline of allowing a maximum of 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.
5. Indoor dining areas in convenient stores and retail markets are allowed; but the sale of ready-to-eat food in convenient stores (such as tea leaf eggs, hot dogs, and sweet potatoes) remains suspended.
6. Dine-in service in markets and night markets is allowed, but food tasting and eating while walking are still prohibited. Unless eating or drinking, one should wear a mask at all times.
7. Indoor dining areas must install partitions and ensure safe seating arrangement, so that people do not sit right next to each other. Tables should be kept at least 1.5 meters apart and table-merging is not allowed.
8. Dine-in meals should be provided as individual set meals or box meals, and avoid meal-sharing; for shared dishes, the waiting staff must divide them into individual portions before serving.
9. Dining areas must be disinfected on a daily and regular basis; public amenities and rest rooms should be thoroughly sanitized.
10. Mobile payments and other non-contact payment methods are encouraged.