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Photos show how table dividers and temperature checks are becoming the new normal at restaurants in Hong Kong, Taipei, and more

Photos show how table dividers and temperature checks are becoming the new normal at restaurants in Hong Kong, Taipei, and more

Sophie-Claire Hoeller

Lockdown restrictions have eased in China, while Taiwan has bypassed one altogether.
As businesses in certain parts of the US begin reopening, celebrity chef David Chang was curious to see how restaurants in Taipei, Hong Kong, South Korea, and China are doing business amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Chang is hoping that seeing what safety measures and precautions restaurants there are putting in place might help establish a protocol in the US for when lockdown restrictions ease.
He asked his Twitter followers to share pictures of restaurants there and found that temperature checks and table dividers were becoming the norm.
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China started easing its lockdown restrictions in early April, while Taiwan managed to bypass one altogether. Hong Kong plans to start relaxing some of its lockdown measures next week, with government workers heading back to their offices on May 4.

As some places in the US, such as South Carolina, Oklahoma, and Georgia, begin to reopen businesses, celebrity chef David Chang was curious to see how eateries in Taipei, Hong Kong, South Korea, and China — where a number of restaurants appear to be open to dine-in customers — have made changes amid the pandemic.

He asked his Twitter followers to share images of restaurants with new precautions in place in hopes that the safety measures there might help establish a protocol in the US. He specifically asked how seating was set up, whether servers were wearing masks and gloves, what guests were wearing, and what kitchens are doing differently.

From cardboard dividers between diners to full-body sanitizer stations, images shared by his Twitter followers show how restaurants have adjusted so far.

A McDonald's in Taipei, Taiwan, appears to list the temperature of the staff member that prepared the meal on takeout orders

—J Boyce (@beijingboyce) April 17, 2020

McDonald's recently announced plans to roll out wellness checks at company- and franchisee-owned locations everywhere.

Citing David Tovar, the vice president of US communications at McDonald's, Business Insider's Kate Taylor reported on April 1 that it would "take McDonald's a few weeks to get the thermometers to all locations in the US. When all locations have thermometers, taking workers' temperatures will be a new step of the wellness checks."

A McDonald's in Hong Kong has a thermal monitor customers must stand in front of before ordering

—Joyce Lau (@JoyceLauNews) April 17, 2020

According to The Washington Post, the use of such temperature-scanning systems are likely to become widespread in the US, too.

A restaurant in Shanghai, China, offers a full-body sanitizer outside its doors

Some places in China have even set up "disinfection tunnels" that people can walk through, or installed other misting mechanisms and spray trucks for sterilization purposes, though experts are skeptical about whether they actually work.

—Paul Lin (@tribal) April 18, 2020

Another restaurant, also in Shanghai, China, disinfects tableware table-side

—Paul Lin (@tribal) April 18, 2020

In many cases, soap and water will do, and harsh chemicals and disinfectants can be avoided.

A Starbucks in Hong Kong has taped off tables and seats to ensure social distancing

Around the world, a distance of six feet between people is recommended.

—Ruzan (@imruzan) April 17, 2020

Dividers are becoming the norm

A number of restaurants in parts of Asia appear to be using dividers, but restaurant design experts cited by TODAY think these are unlikely to catch on in the US.

—ben lin (@blin23) April 16, 2020

—Nicolas (@nicolexandre) April 20, 2020

—sean dix (@seandixdesign) April 17, 2020

—Naomi Wu 机械妖姬 (@RealSexyCyborg) April 17, 2020

Staff members everywhere are wearing masks

Experts can't seem to agree on whether the use of face masks will actually limit the spread of the coronavirus, however. As Insider's Gabby Landsverk reported, this is "in part because there's a lot we don't know about the coronavirus, including how long it can linger in the air. But the prevailing advice is that for the general public, masks may help somewhat to slow transmission."

The Centers for Disease Control has also recommended that people wear a mask or cloth face covering when in public as a precaution.