Hotel, tour and F&B sectors casualties of Wuhan virus outbreak

Singapore

MORE Singapore businesses such as hotels, tour agencies and F&B establishments are suffering from the Wuhan virus outbreak.

Toh Hwee Tin, executive secretary of the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers' Union (FDAWU), and Attractions, Resort and Entertainment Union (AREU), said these businesses are experiencing a decrease in sales.

In a statement on Thursday, she added that the unions will work with the government to help businesses in the tourism sector should they require additional support while they fulfil immediate hygiene requirements.

In transport and retail, ComfortDelGro Corp and fashion retailer Charles & Keith Group have reported that their operations in China have been curtailed.

Comfort has been asked by the Chinese authorities to suspend operations at its driving centre in Nanjing - which is about 530 km away from Wuhan - and has done so since Jan 28. It has a 60 per cent stake in Nanjing ComfortDelGro Xixia Driver Training Co, which has some 600 enrolled students. Its other driving school, Chengdu ComfortDelGro Qing Yang Driving School Co, which is farther away from Wuhan, continues to operate.

Ridership for Comfort's taxi services in eight Chinese cities and bus trips at its 60-per cent owned bus station in Guangzhou have both declined. Drivers operating its combined fleet of 11,000 taxis in China have reported a fall in business, it said, while Tianhe Bus Station saw the number of bus trips during the Chinese New Year period drop 15 per cent year-on-year to 24,000.

In Australia and the United Kingdom, where it operates bus and taxi services, Comfort said the situation remains stable, although precautions have been stepped up. ComfortDelGro Corporation Australia is working closely with the respective state health authorities to implement precautionary measures to contain the infection and prevent transmission, the transport operator said.

ComfortDelGro managing director/group chief executive officer Yang Ban Seng said: "All our businesses stand prepared to activate business continuity plans where needed. We are also increasing our stockpile of masks, disinfectants and gloves and are ready to distribute them to affected staff and cabbies at a moment's notice." It has not seen any confirmed cases among employees in its companies so far, he added.

For the Charles & Keith Group, the company has followed all precautionary measures implemented by the local authorities and mall managers in China to curb the spread of the virus, including shortening operating hours and temporarily closing stores and offices.

The group has shut 55 Charles & Keith stores and four Pedro stores in areas such as Wuhan, Xi'An, Hangzhou and Chongqing. "The company hopes to re-open the stores as soon as it is appropriate to do so," said a Charles & Keith spokeswoman. "In the long-term, we remain positive on the China market." The retailer currently has a total of 278 Charles & Keith stores and 20 Pedro stores in China.

Here in Singapore, the retail group has put in place precautionary health and hygiene measures, such as giving face masks and hand sanitisers to its employees. It is also tracking and tracing employees' travel activities, and has asked staff to put off non-essential travel to and from China.