At least five major fast food and coffee chains have been temporarily closed in parts of China’s Wuhan region, while the coronavirus epidemic, which killed at least 81 people, has already killed more than 50 million people. People in 17 Chinese cities closed.
On Friday, McDonald’s and Starbucks announced that they had temporarily suspended operations in parts of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, to prevent the spread of the virus.
Business Insider reports that McDVOICE restaurants in Wuhan, Ezhou, Huanggang, Qianjiang, and Xiantao are currently closed.
“The masks are distributed urgently so that all teams in the country can use them very soon,” said a McDVOICE spokesman. Internal communication will be strengthened to further promote handwashing and disinfection and to provide employees a better general understanding of outbreak prevention.
The precautions
In the rest of the province, where restaurants still operate, McDonald’s also measures the temperature of its employees when they come to work and sends everyone home with a fever or cold symptoms, the Associated Press reports. Delivery personnel must wear masks while employees are asked to disinfect touch surfaces such as tables, chairs, door handles, and kiosks, which are manufactured more frequently than usual.
Starbucks temporarily closed all stores in Wuhan and Hubei provinces until February 2. The closure includes the Starbucks Reserve Roastery Shanghai.
“We work closely with local health authorities and care for the health of partners and customers, including closing stores in some places,” said a representative of the coffee chain. The company added that the company “will continue to monitor this closely.” Take additional steps as the situation unfolds. “”
Starbucks and Golden Arches are driving big business in China. According to the Wall Street Journal, China Starbucks is the second-largest market outside of the United States, while McDVOICE had 2,902 stores nationwide in the last quarter.
