- A KFC food preparation employee in a China location has been infected with the deadly coronavirus, according to China News.
- The news comes amid the company's efforts to curb spreading with contactless delivery service.
- Yum China, the parent company of KFC in China, has already closed multiple stores to curb further spreading of the deadly disease.
- "Looking into 2020, the coronavirus outbreak is a major public health situation in China," YUM China's CEO Joey Wat said in a statement in the company's latest earnings report. "Our top priority is the health and safety of our employees and customers."
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A KFC worker in China has been infected with the deadly coronavirus, according to a report from China News.
The patient reportedly worked at the front counter of a KFC in an eatery in the Xiaozhai Intime shopping center, in the Xian, Shaanxi province, where the worker's main job involved food preparation.
Yum China, which has exclusive rights to fast-food restaurants in China including KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell, has already closed over 30% of its 9,200 restaurants in China.
KFC and Pizza Hut recently launched a contactless delivery service in China to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus, which can occur when an infected person coughs or sneezes within 6 feet of someone else, the Centers for Disease Control warned.
With over 6,500 stores across China, KFC is the largest restaurant in the group's portfolio. Select KFC locations in Wuhan, China — where the virus is said to have originated — have been closed since January 24, a spokesperson for Yum China previously confirmed to Business Insider.
"Yum China is closely monitoring the situation and following guidance from the relevant authorities," a KFC spokesperson told Business Insider. "We have implemented various preventative measures across our restaurants and workplaces to help protect our employees and customers."
Yum China employs close to 460,000 people. In statements in the company's earnings results for Q4 and the 2019 fiscal year, the company said that the coronavirus outbreak had "significantly impacted the Company's operations," though details on the expected future impact could not yet be disclosed.
Yum China CFO Andy Yeung said in the 2019 fiscal report that the company expects the coronavirus to impact sales and profits in 2020.
"Looking into 2020, the coronavirus outbreak is a major public health situation in China," YUM China's CEO Joey Wat said in a statement."Our top priority is the health and safety of our employees and customers."
As of February 9, the coronavirus had killed more than 800 people and infected more than 37,000.
SEE ALSO: YUM China CEO says her over 450,000 employees are like a family that won't be replaced by automation
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