Tianhe district of Guangzhou announced today that it is requiring restaurants to restrict dine-in services, with the number of diners at each table capped at 10, in an effort to control the COVID-19 spread in the city.

Eateries in Tianhe now can only receive customers at a capacity of 50% of its tables, which should be set at a distance of at least one meter. Restaurants are required to disinfect the tables and chairs, and wait at least 10 minutes before receiving new customers.

A bulletin board that reads "Dine-in services suspended. Takeout orders only." is seen outside a restaurant in Panyu district of Guangzhou, June 8, 2021. [Photo/Guangzhou Daily]

Catering sectors in Huangpu and Baiyun districts also halted dine-in servicesstarting late Tuesday (June 8), following those in Liwan, Yuexiu, Haizhu, Nansha and Panyu districts.

Guangzhou's culture and tourism bureau issued a notice on June 7 requiring the city to close all indoor entertainment venues, including cinemas, theaters, karaoke and Internet cafes, and indoor recreation facilities in tourist attractions.Public cultural venues, such as libraries, museums and art galleries, and the outdoor areas of scenic spots can receive visitors at 50% capacity.

However, all cultural and tourist venues in medium- and high-risk areas for COVID-19 transmission and in closed-off places in the city are required to temporarily suspend operation, according to the notice.

The bureau asked travel agencies not to organize tours to destinations outside of Guangzhou and the Guangdong province, and encouraged the cultural and tourism sector to stage online shows and exhibitions as well as explore cloud tourism.

Guangzhou reported seven new confirmed local COVID-19 cases on June 8, one of which was previously identified as an asymptomatic carrier. Four of the cases were reported in the Baihedong sub-district（白鹤洞街道）and one in theDongsha sub-district（东沙街道）of Liwan, while the other two were found in theZhujiang Street（珠江街）of Nansha.