Hong Kong authorities on Thursday opened around 19 community centres and restaurants to eat inside after a virus-induced ban on indoor dining at restaurants forced many workers to have their meals outside on pavements under sweltering heat and rain.
The restaurant ban in Hong Kong barred any outlet from allowing dine-in patrons to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Construction and office workers were seen across the city trying to find shade as they ate their noodle and rice lunch boxes in temperatures of up to 35 degrees Celsius.
Others opted to eat inside storerooms or even toilets, the public broadcaster said.
In a prompt reversal, the government said on Thursday it would partly relax its ban on restaurant dining, noting that it brought “inconvenience and difficulties” to many workers.