Coronavirus Assumptions Harm London’s Chinatown Restaurants | Eater London

"Facing a sharp downturn since the coronavirus outbreak, this Chinatown restaurant's Newport Place site lost an estimated £15,000 over one weekend due to cancelled bookings and a steep drop in walk-ins; general manager Martin Matold told the BBC 'it's a hard time,' and another manager said anonymously, 'people are scared, they are staying away.' Staff also report an upsurge in racist abuse and assumptions tied to misinformation about the outbreak's origins—including stereotyped claims about Chinese diets—which has compounded the business impact. Locals and visitors are urged to support the restaurant and other Chinatown eateries rather than avoiding them." - James Hansen