Way too early to relax in fight against virus
From tomorrow Costco will stop selling its popular roast chicken and croissants until further notice to help prevent crowds from gathering in the supermarket, local media reported today.
The Minhang supermarket also has capped customers at 1,000, reported Shanghai Morning Post.
According to Shanghai Observer, a leading news portal, some people went to Costco on Friday only to find a surprisingly large crowd of customers – about 1,900 of them. In the food section, there were so many people that it was difficult to move one’s trolley around. The parking lot was also crowded.
Yesterday, Minhang told Costco to step up its management. Last night, Costco texted its customers that indoor traffic would be limited to 2,000, now further reduced to 1,000. Cars have also been diverted by local police.
According to Shanghai Morning Post, many customers came to Costco for chicken and croissants. Although most customers wore masks, the crowd was still too big.
Good for Costco to have strengthened preventive measures during the country’s ongoing fight against the novel coronavirus. Business-as-usual for more and more firms should not be too far away and temporary difficulties can be overcome with the joint effort of everyone – the government, the customers and the businesses. Ultimately, zero infection and sincere care for the health of customers are the long-term assets of any business.
The weather has been exceptionally good in the past few days, not just in Shanghai, but in many other parts of the country. Customers in Sichuan, Jiangxi, Guangdong and some other provinces were also found gathering in crowds, shopping, having tea or going to restaurants.
Remember, we have yet seen a turning point in the battle against COVID-19. Nationwide, there are still about 50,000 confirmed patients and about 4,000 suspected cases. Moreover, about 100,000 people who have had close contact with the patients are still quarantined. As the People’s Daily wrote today, this is not yet the time to relax.
