Eateries taking no chances with COVID-19

Strict measures for the prevention of COVID-19 have been implemented in moving dining cars and community canteens throughout Jiading to ensure residents can eat without worrying.

Employees at the breakfast dining car on Hongshi Road wear masks and gloves, and pass food to customers on trays instead of using their hands. Moreover, every dining car is equipped with sterilizer.

"With the trays, I don't need to touch the server directly, which makes me feel safe when having breakfast," said a resident surnamed Shan who is a regular patron of the breakfast dining car.

Jiading has more than 80 breakfast dining spots that officials patrol during business hours.

"We will check every dining car to make sure they have sterilized the cooking appliances and are wearing masks and gloves," said Cai Yanping, manager of the Jiading-based Shanghai Yingyuan Breakfast Development Company.

Community canteens serve as a vital gateway for COVID-19 prevention.

"Please scan your travel code here. Thank you for your cooperation," said a worker at the entrance of Wo Jia Restaurant, a community canteen in the life and service center in Juyuan New Area. It has become routine to check people's temperatures, as well as their health and travel codes. People dining here are required to wear masks and stand 1 meter apart when standing in line.

"The improvement in prevention measures is also a way to protect ourselves," said a resident surnamed Gao who works nearby and visits the restaurant often. "Although you need to go all the way to enter the canteen, like playing games to beat monsters, it is still necessary for the sake of safety."

To avoid person-to-person contact, two intelligent automatic check-out machines, which are equipped with high definition cameras, have been installed that take the place of human cashiers. When residents put their meals on the platform under the camera, the monitor will show the name of the meal and the amount owed. "Payment has been completed" will pop up after payments are made.

"It's not only quicker but also safer than before when the cashier checked out items one by one," said a resident surnamed Tang.

Before opening every day, the camera scans every meal and then records it into the machine.

In addition to using technology to reduce human contact, transparent dividers are placed between dining tables.