McDonald’s has temporarily shuttered stores in five cities across Hubei province, which have been at the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.
Reuters first reported the closures on Friday 24 January, with the company later confirming the decision in a press release. At this stage all McDonald’s restaurants in the cities of Wuhan, Ezhou, Huanggang, Qianjiang, and Xiantao will remain closed until further notice. The cities have been affected by the travel restrictions imposed by the Chinese government in an attempt to slow the virus’ spread.
McDonald’s restaurants in cities not affected by transport restrictions will continue to operate, reports CNN, with the company monitoring the health of all employees outside of quarantine zones. Protocols in place include temperature checks, mask distribution and increased hand washing and use of disinfectants.
According to Business Insider, Starbucks has put similar precautions in place, shutting all stores in Wuhan city and Hubei province through to 2 February at this stage, while also implementing temperature checks and distributing masks for all employees across the country. Workers are also required to sanitise their hands every 30 minutes.
Yum China brands KFC and Pizza Hut also closed on 24 Jan and will remain shut until further notice.
It’s believed the outbreak, which has claimed 80 lives, started in a wet market in Hubei capital city Wuhan.
Image credit: Eater