Chinese diner trapped in restaurant for days due to sudden COVID lockdown: ‘I can’t eat hot pot anymore’

Customers of a hot pot restaurant in China were treated to free meals for three days after they were forced to stay in the establishment due to a COVID-19 lockdown.

A viral video on Weibo shows the experience of a woman named Wang who met her four friends for a late hot pot dinner at a restaurant in the city of Zhengzhou on March 18.

After they finished their meal, three of Wang’s friends left. She stayed with the fourth friend to chat. However, when the two of them eventually tried to leave, local authorities told them to stay in the restaurant, along with 10 staff members and around 40 other customers, since someone who tested positive for COVID-19 had recently visited the restaurant.

In China, establishments that are visited by an infected person are temporarily shut down even if there are people inside.

Fortunately for Wang and the other customers, the restaurant’s owner allowed everyone to eat as much hot pot as they could for free. According to Wang, the owner’s kindness turned an otherwise scary incident into a pleasant experience for everyone.

“Although this is an unexpected situation that no one wants, the experience this time is quite comfortable and enjoyable,” Wang was quoted as saying. “I really can’t eat hot pot anymore.”

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