The bustling neighbourhood is home to a huge number of Chinese restaurants and shops, which are usually bustling with visitors. However, the Soho hotspot has been drained of custom in what is seen as panic surrounding the coronavirus. Chinatown has seen up to a 50 percent business drop over the last two weeks, even during the Lunar New Year, when trade is usually at its highest.

Many have cited the coronavirus and subsequent prejudice against British-Chinese people in its wake as the reason for the decline.

Martin Ma, general manager for Jinli, one of Chinatown’s popular restaurants, discussed the strange atmosphere in what is a usually heaving hub.

He told the BBC: “It’s a hard time. Normally, you have to book ahead – we have long queues going out of the door.”

However, now, even in the peak lunchtime hours, the restaurants were all but abandoned.

Mr Ma also spoke of “immediate cancellations” following the first reports of the coronavirus in the UK, with many saying the illness was the reason.

The owner estimated that his flagship restaurant – one of four branches across the country – has lost £15,000 over the last weekend.

Another restaurant manager, remaining anonymous, told the BBC: “People are scared, they are staying away.”

He also spoke of how fellow British-Chinese people had experienced prejudice in the wake of the virus – people moving seats on the Tube and children being told to stay away from “foreigners”.

Similar incidents of racism have also been reported across London.

A dessert shop worker, Zak, told Metro whilst shopping in Battersea, south-west London, his friends faced racial abuse.

He said: “Out of nowhere this old lady started screaming at one of the girls because she was wearing a face mask.

“She was saying ‘Why are you here? Go back to your country, we don’t want your virus here.’ Then she pushed her from behind onto the floor.

“I feel like things like this are happening more and more due to a lack of knowledge about the coronavirus and how to protect yourself.”

University of Manchester Masters student Sam Phan, writing in The Guardian, spoke of his experiences with anti-Chinese racism in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

He said: “This week, my ethnicity has made me feel like I was part of a threatening and diseased mass.

“To see me as someone who carries the virus just because of my race is, well, just racist.

“The coronavirus is a human tragedy, so let’s not allow fear to breed hatred, intolerance and racism.”

Despite prejudicial reactions, restaurant owners are still taking precautions, and many have significantly upped their response to the virus outbreak.

At the Dumpling’s Legend restaurant, in Chinatown, the manager Derek also told Metro his walk-ins had dropped by 50 percent over the last two weeks.

He said: “When a lot of westerners heard about the virus, they didn’t feel comfortable to step into Chinatown.

“What we need to do right now, is be more careful and step up deep cleaning in the restaurant and my staff’s personal hygiene with more hand washing and scrubbing door handles.

“If anyone gets a cough or a cold they cannot come to work, I need a GP report to tell me they are safe to come back. Otherwise I’m not allowing them.”

Coronavirus is an illness linked to common coughs and colds, however, it is the novel strain of the virus, first reported on New Year’s Eve 2019 that is currently being internationally addressed.

More than 360 people have died of the virus so far.

The virus arrived in Britain a number of days ago, with two people from the same family testing positive for the virus, after being taken ill at a York hotel.

Source: Read Full Article