Sweden’s IKEA, the world’s biggest furniture retailer, closes around 15 stores in China due to virus outbreak

Sweden’s IKEA, the world’s biggest furniture retailer, said it was temporarily closing around half of its 30 stores in China as deaths in the country from the fast-spreading new coronavirus rose to 132 on Wednesday.

“In response to the Chinese government’s call for efficient control of the spread of the disease IKEA China will from Jan. 29 temporarily close around half of the stores in China,” it said in a statement. “Affected employees will stay at home until further notice with pay,” it said.

Ingka Group last week closed its store in Wuhan, where the virus emerged last month. The company employs around 14,000 people in China.

Coronavirus: China gives nod to India to airlift 250 citizens from Wuhan

On January 27, cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba convened a meeting with secretaries on the Ministries of Heath, External Affairs, Civil Aviation, Shipping, I&B, Defence and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) made a formal request to China to facilitate evacuation of 250 Indians from Wuhan, which is the epicentre of the deadly virus.

The Indian government has stepped up its preparation to fight against corona virus in last  few days. The centre has expanded the thermal screening to 20 airports on Tuesday, along with adding 10 new laboratories to test the virus, as a precautionary measure. At present, the thermal screening is being done at Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kochi airports. Till January 27,  as many as 155 flights were screened with a total of 33,552 passengers.

The government has activated four new laboratories–the Indian Council of Medical Research’s viral research and diagnostics lab network – at Alleppey, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Mumbai for testing samples. So far, Pune’s National Institute of Virology was conducting the tests. A total of 20 samples  have so far been tested by NIV Pune and all were found negative.

Meanwhile, Mumbai Port Trust has been instructed to not to give shore permit to any vessel coming from China. Civil aviation ministry has been told to ask airlines to make in-flight announcement and distribute  “health cards” to all flights with direct or indirect connectivity to China.  Home ministry has to ensure integrated check posts initiate screening of visitors across Nepal border.

The Union health ministry has also urged passengers who have a travel history to China since January 1 to come forward for self-reporting at the nearest health facility if they experience any symptoms such as fever, cough, respiratory distress etc. The ministry has issued a 24X7 helpline number for any query on coronavirus, which is 91-11-23978046.

The deadly coronavirus continues to wreak havoc in China, taking the death toll to 132 and the confirmed infection cases to nearly 6,000.

The coronavirus was first discovered in the city of Wuhan in December. It is thought to have originated in the food market of the central China metropolis and has since infected thousands of people.