File photo: Employees at a dining supplier pack meals to be delivered. [Photo/WeChat account: xiamen_swj]

Xiamen in Fujian province launched "mobile canteens" on Sept 20 in order to allow workers to dine in safety while also curbing COVID-19 from spreading.

The idea of "mobile canteens" was first put forward by the Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Commerce in February 2020, which offered online food delivery services to companies.

Currently, Xiamen has 25 qualified dining suppliers as options, with a total daily delivery capacity of 364,000 meals. The dining suppliers are required to follow the meal-sharing system to pack meals according to the number of diners.

Companies that are interested in food delivery services should book in advance by calling the dining suppliers. Reservations for breakfast meals should be booked by 12 pm the day before, while lunch and dinner meals should be booked by 4 pm the day before.

Distribution methods include delivering meals to the ordering companies or representatives of the companies coming to dining suppliers for pickup services. In order to optimize distribution and reduce contacts, companies in the same office building and industrial park are encouraged to order food deliveries together.