Virtually blind and penniless, Leung Ping-kuen usually spends his nights dozing in one of Hong Kong’s many 24-hour McDonald’s but now finds himself back on the streets because of the coronavirus.

The 37-year-old is one of the city’s so-called “McRefugees”, a small community of homeless and rough sleepers who use the fast food chain as a shelter.

McDonald’s has long turned a blind eye to those sleeping overnight in their restaurants, a more common sight in the summer months when it is sweltering outside.

But in a bid to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, the company recently ended all dine-in services in Hong Kong from 6 pm for the next fortnight.

“I heard about the news on Tuesday afternoon and I knew it would be trouble for me,” Leung told AFP in Sham Shui Po, one of the international business hub’s poorest districts.

“They also have a business to care about, so I understand it’s a tough decision for them.”