HomeInsideCoronavirus Outbreak: China cleans, locks away banknotes to stop virus spread

Coronavirus Outbreak: China cleans, locks away banknotes to stop virus spread

Most Read

China is disinfecting and isolating used banknotes as part of efforts to stop the spread of the new coronavirus that has killed more than 1,500 people, officials said Saturday.

Banks use ultraviolet light or high temperatures to disinfect yuan bills, then seal and store the cash for seven to 14 days — depending on the severity of the outbreak in a particular region — before recirculating them, China’s central bank said at a press conference.

- Advertisement -

The virus, which has infected more than 66,000 people in China and spread to more than two dozen other countries, has sparked a rush to disinfect public places and minimise contact between people.

Pharmacies across the country sold out of disinfectants and surgical masks in just days after a lockdown was announced in late January on Wuhan city, where the COVID-19 illness is believed to have emerged.

Office buildings have installed packets of tissue in elevators that tenants are encouraged to use when pressing buttons, while ride-hailing company Didi exhorts drivers to disinfect their cars daily.

Fan Yifei, deputy governor of China’s central bank, said Saturday that banks have been urged to provide new banknotes to customers whenever possible.

The central bank made an “emergency issuance” of four billion yuan in new notes to Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, prior to the recent Lunar New Year holiday, Fan added.

The measures are intended to “secure the public’s safety and health when using cash”, Fan said.

But it is unclear how wide an impact the central bank’s disinfection work will have, with increasing numbers of Chinese people preferring mobile payments over cash in recent years.

In 2017, nearly three quarters of Chinese respondents told an Ipsos survey they could survive a whole month without using more than 100 yuan in cash.

According to the World Health Organization, COVID-19 can be spread through contaminated objects in addition to droplets and direct contact with infected patients.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.

Subscribe To Morning Newsletters

Sign up to receive the latest news stories, exclusive interviews, and more in your inbox.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Editor's Pick

Krishna Mali
Krishna Mali
Founder, CEO & Group Editor of TechGraph.

Read More Stories

UK Housing Market Grinds to a Halt as Rates Bite

Britain’s once-thriving housing sector is now flatlining amid a tightening chokehold of astronomical mortgage rates. New data reveals house...

Tech Mahindra Set up Innovation Centre In Espoo Finland

India-based multinational technology company, Tech Mahindra has today inaugurated its innovation centre in Espoo, Finland. The new centre will accommodate...

Apple’s first ever dual-sim iPhone

The Indian Apple users are in for a treat as the leading smartphone manufacturer introduces its first-ever dual SIM...

Innovative Financing: Paving the Way for a More Agile Financial Ecosystem

At a time of high inflation and global rises in interest rates by Central Banks, we are facing a...

Now, US users can see what Apple has collected from their device

Apple Inc on Wednesday rolled out an online tool to users in the United States and several other countries...

How AI Is Crucial For Business Strategy Management

There is no doubt that AI has been reshaping the business strategies world over with companies realizing that artificial...