Erbil's restaurants continue to provide food through home delivery despite the ongoing coronavirus lockdown.
Due to the lockdown in the Kurdistan Region, people cannot leave their homes, and now order food to be delivered to them- also helping local businesses to stay afloat amid mass closures.
Alla Khayat is an engineer. She cannot go to work due to the lockdown. Today she ordered takeaway.
“I miss restaurant food because I have been staying at home for a while. These types of food cannot be prepared at home. Therefore, I ordered a takeaway today although I do so less than before because we are at home the whole day and have plenty of time for cooking,” she told Rudaw.
A small number of restaurants in Erbil have delivery service.
Swar Aziz is a cook at an Erbil restaurant. He told Rudaw that few people order food through delivery, fearing being infected with COVID-19.
“Fearing the spread of coronavirus, less people order food through delivery now compared to before. A small number of restaurants have delivery service but we continue the service in order to prevent our employees from losing their jobs,” he said.
Aziz added that they follow health advice when delivering food.
Ordering delivery was not commonplace in the Kurdistan Region in the past, with locals preferring to eat fresh food in restaurants. It has now become a trend as foreigners move into the Region.
The Kurdistan Regional Government advises anyone in the Kurdistan Region displaying coronavirus symptoms to call its emergency hotline on 122. This service is available in Kurdish and Arabic 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. More information can be found on the government’s website.
Photos and reporting by Bilind T. Abdullah