South Africans’ fears of contamination from the coronavirus is negatively impacting on local Chinese-owned businesses, a local businessman said on Friday.
According to businessman Simon Shi, since the outbreak of the virus in the Chinese city of Wuhan about two months ago, the numbers of people patronising local Chinese restaurants has dwindled.
Shi said fewer customers were now going out to eat at Chinese-owned restaurants due to fears of being exposed to the deadly coronavirus.
On its part, the Chinese community is being proactive in monitoring members who have visited China or are still in China, Shi said.
Many local Chinese who visited their families in China during the Lunar New Year are not able to return to South African due to travel restrictions in the Asian country, he said.
“We have families, and other relatives still in China. We’re watching the news every day and hour to see what’s happening,” Shi said.
The local Chinese community has donated more than US$70,000 worth of face masks and thermometers to China to assist the country in its fight against virus, he added.
There have been no reported cases of anyone in South Africa having contracted the coronavirus, according to the health ministry.
NM/jn/APA