Takeout orders surge as virus wanes

Residents of Shenzhen, Guangdong province, have ordered the most takeout of all major cities on the Chinese mainland since March 20, according to Meituan, one of the leading food delivery apps in China.

Four first-tier cities dominate the takeout order rankings: Shenzhen is followed by Guangzhou, after which come Beijing and Shanghai.

Takeout orders in Shenzhen are nearly back to the level before the coronavirus outbreak.

As business and social activities return to normal, new users registered on food delivery platforms are increasing rapidly.

The number of new consumers on Meituan grew by 124 percent from the end of January.

To promote the restart of the catering industry, the Shenzhen government is holding a gourmet festival in conjunction with Meituan until April 30. Meituan said the order volume is up 21 percent since the beginning of the festival.