HCM City reopens dine-in service from October 28

HCM City reopens dine-in service from October 28.

HCM City residents were given a taste of the ‘new normal’ as in-person dining at restaurants resumed yesterday.

For the past five months only offer delivery and take-away services were allowed due to the severe COVID-19 outbreak.

Many restaurants, cafes, and other food and beverages in Thủ Đức City and Bình Thạnh, Tân Bình and Tân Phú districts received customers since early morning.

There were still restrictions in place and customers were required to sit at least two meters apart and comply with 5K regulations.

Thursday was the first day restaurants, cafes, and other food and beverages places could cater for sit-in services again. However, they must close at 9 pm and the number of customers would be capped at 50 percent. Alcoholic drinks were still not allowed except at wedding venues, or restaurants at hotels for tourists.

Chairman of the city’s People’s Committee Phan Văn Mãi said on Thursday that the city allowed District 7 and Thủ Đức City to carry out a ‘pilot’ period of selling alcoholic beverages due to their success in controlling the outbreaks.

The pilot period runs until November 15, with specific areas to be decided by local authorities.

The two localities would report to the city’s authorities after November 15 to inform their decisions on whether to expand the permission to other localities, he said.

Customers were required to leave records of entry at each food and drink establishment using QR codes via the health declaration/medical surveillance system.