Bubble Tea Customers in China Are Now Standing Metres Apart As Coronavirus Precaution

When the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) swept across China at the start of the year, entire cities were placed on lockdown and residents in home isolation to curb its spread. Commercial establishments also shut down in many parts of the country, including ever-popular milk tea shops. Any boba-lover would agree that going weeks without the drink is a challenge, so it’s no surprise that they came in droves when a popular bubble tea store in Changsha, Hunan Province reopened last week.

The bubble tea shop now viral on Chinese social media attracted a long line of eager customers on February 23, with a queue that was almost 100 metres long. Customers had to wait for up to two hours just to get their boba fix, China News Service reported.

The line was even longer than usual because customers were required to stand 1.5 metres away from one another, demarcated by yellow tapes on the floor, as a precaution against the coronavirus.

“Please wear your face masks, and wait behind this yellow line!” the yellow tape reads.

Upon entering the shop, customers have to undergo a temperature check and disinfect their hands.

The rapid encroachment of the coronavirus in Chinese cities abruptly stripped residents of their favourite food haunts, leaving them with a serious case of the munchies. As the virus reportedly slows its spread in China, Chinese businesses are now reopening their doors to hopeful residents who have been cooped up at home.

The Changsha bubble tea shop isn’t the only one that has attracted scores of people looking to satisfy their food cravings.

A liangpi noodle shop in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, reopened on March 2 and saw a nearly 100-metre-long line of peckish customers. Liangpi is a popular Chinese noodle dish commonly eaten for breakfast. According to local news outlet HSW.CN, the shop owner requested that customers leave a 1.5 metre gap between one another while waiting in line.

To minimise interaction between shoppers and staff, various stores in a Changsha mall have come up with self-service payment methods that remove the need for shoppers to wait in the queue or interact with cashiers. Customers can make their purchases online through customised ordering apps, or use their phones to scan codes on the items to pay.

On March 2, China’s National Health Commission published guidelines to maintain good personal hygiene as shops begin to resume operations. These guidelines include wearing face masks, keeping a safe distance from fellow patrons, opting for contactless digital payment instead of cash, and minimising meal durations.

While the battle against the coronavirus is far from over, we’re happy for some sweet-toothed residents in China who can finally sip on bubble tea.

Find Koh Ewe on Instagram.