- Several fast-food chains and retailers have closed their doors in Wuhan and neighboring Chinese cities due to the deadly coronavirus.
- McDonald's and Starbucks were among the first companies to announce temporary closures late last week, in an attempt to prevent the spread of the virus among employees and customers.
- The virus has killed more than 80 people and infected more than 2,700 since the outbreak was first discovered in Wuhan, China.
- Here's a list of brands with confirmed closures in China.
- Visit Business Insider's home page for more stories.
An increasing number of fast-food chains and major retailers in China are issuing temporary closures as the coronavirus death toll continues to rise.
The outbreak is believed to have originated at a wet market in Wuhan, China, and has since been reported in 12 other countries, including Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore, Nepal, France, Australia, Malaysia, Canada, and the US. As of Sunday evening, the virus has killed 81 individuals and infected more than 2,700, China's National Health Committee announced in a report.
McDonald's and Starbucks were among the earliest closures, with both fast-food chains announcing on Friday that they had closed select locations in China to prevent the spread of the virus among employees and customers. The closures came in tandem with mass quarantines in China and orders to halt public transit in Wuhan and neighboring cities.
Several major tourist attractions and hospitality companies including the Shanghai Disney Resort and InterContinental Hotels Group have also temporarily shut down, Bloomberg reported. Meanwhile, retailers like Walmart have announced they will stay open for now. A Walmart spokesperson told Business Insider the company is cooperating with local officials and health experts to "closely follow" and monitor the situation.
"We are actively reinforcing good hygiene practices in all of our Walmart and Sam's Club locations in China and reminding our teams that the health and safety of our associates and customers is our top priority," a Walmart spokesperson told Business Insider.
Below is a list of confirmed closures. We've reached out to several major fast-food chains and retailers with locations in China and will update this list accordingly.
Kate Taylor contributed reporting.
KFC
A spokesperson for Yum China confirmed to Business Insider that select KFC locations in Wuhan have been closed since January 24.
"Yum China is closely monitoring the situation and following guidance from the relevant authorities," the spokesperson said. "We have implemented various preventative measures across our restaurants and workplaces to help protect our employees and customers."
Pizza Hut
The Yum spokesperson also confirmed that Pizza Hut locations in Wuhan have been closed since January 24 and will remain closed "until further notice."
"We will continue to evaluate the need for additional actions and preventive health measures," the spokesperson said.
Starbucks
According to the official Starbucks Weibo account, the company has closed all stores in Wuhan and the Hubei province through February 2, as well as the Starbucks Reserve Roastery Shanghai.
A Starbucks spokesperson told Business Insider the company will "continue monitoring this closely to take further actions as the situation evolves."
"We are working closely with local health authorities, taking actions with the health of partners and customers top of mind, including closing stores in some locations," the spokesperson said.
McDonald's
McDonald's announced on Friday that it has "suspended business" in five cities, as was first reported by Reuters. A spokesperson for McDonald's Asia told Business Insider's Mary Hanbury on Friday that all restaurant operations have been suspended in Wuhan, Ezhou, Huanggang, Qianjiang, and Xiantao until further noticed.
"Masks are urgently
Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen locations in Wuhan have been closed since January 22, according to Dairy Queen's official Weibo page. Additionally, the company is offering a promotion for hospital workers treating individuals with the virus, which has received some backlash on the Chinese social media site.
An international Dairy Queen spokesperson told Business Insider that the company "are continuing to monitor the situation and are closely following the direction of local authorities."
"The health and well-being of our employees and customers is of the utmost importance to International Dairy Queen and we continue to practice preventative measures to protect them," the spokesperson said.
IKEA
IKEA has closed its store in Wuhan, adjusted hours for all stores in China, and closed all children's playing areas, according to a post on the company's official Weibo page. A representative for IKEA did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.