SHANGHAI: Chinese corporate giants including Alibaba and Tencent said they have asked staff to work from home for one week after an extended Lunar New Year break ends, seeking to limit the spread of a new flu-like virus.
The government has lengthened the week-long Lunar New Year holiday by three days to Feb 2 in a bid to contain the virus which has killed 81. The total number of confirmed cases on Monday (Jan 27) jumped about 30 per cent to more than 2,700.
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READ: China scrambles to contain 'strengthening' virus
READ: Wuhan virus – What's China doing to contain the outbreak?
But many big businesses are going one step further, telling employees to work from home until Feb 7 and not return to their offices until Feb 10.
Alibaba said the measure applied across all its divisions, including to workers in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau as well as in mainland China. It employs more than 100,000 people worldwide, most of whom are in China.
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The Shanghai government also imposed a similar measure, announcing that all companies in the city would not be allowed to start work before Feb 9, as did the nearby city of Suzhou, home to a big industrial park for pharmaceutical firms and tech companies.
The decision by the Shanghai government will affect companies such as Tesla Inc, General Motors and Volkswagen which either own factories or operate them in the city through ventures with local partners.
Passengers are screened with thermal scanners at Hankou railway station in Wuhan, China. (AFP Photo)
Tiktok owner Bytedance was among the most stringent, requiring employees who travelled during the holidays to quarantine themselves and work from home for 14 days. Staff who had not travelled could start working from the office from Feb 10, though that date could change, according to an internal note seen by Reuters. Bytedance declined to comment.
Wuhan, a city of 11 million and the epicentre of the outbreak, is already in virtual lockdown and severe limits on movement are in place in several other Chinese cities.
E-commerce firm Pinduoduo, UBS Group AG and property developer Country Garden have also advised employees returning from Wuhan or Hubei province to quarantine themselves at home.
Haidilao, operator of a popular hotpot restaurant chain, said it would shut stores across China from Sunday to Friday – one of the biggest temporary closures by a nationwide chain to date.
MORE: Our coverage on the Wuhan virus and its developments
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SHANGHAI: Chinese corporate giants including Alibaba and Tencent said they have asked staff to work from home for one week after an extended Lunar New Year break ends, seeking to limit the spread of a new flu-like virus.
The government has lengthened the week-long Lunar New Year holiday by three days to Feb 2 in a bid to contain the virus which has killed 81. The total number of confirmed cases on Monday (Jan 27) jumped about 30 per cent to more than 2,700.
Advertisement
Advertisement
READ: China scrambles to contain 'strengthening' virus
READ: Wuhan virus – What's China doing to contain the outbreak?
But many big businesses are going one step further, telling employees to work from home until Feb 7 and not return to their offices until Feb 10.
Alibaba said the measure applied across all its divisions, including to workers in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau as well as in mainland China. It employs more than 100,000 people worldwide, most of whom are in China.
Advertisement
Advertisement
The Shanghai government also imposed a similar measure, announcing that all companies in the city would not be allowed to start work before Feb 9, as did the nearby city of Suzhou, home to a big industrial park for pharmaceutical firms and tech companies.
The decision by the Shanghai government will affect companies such as Tesla Inc, General Motors and Volkswagen which either own factories or operate them in the city through ventures with local partners.
Passengers are screened with thermal scanners at Hankou railway station in Wuhan, China. (AFP Photo)
Tiktok owner Bytedance was among the most stringent, requiring employees who travelled during the holidays to quarantine themselves and work from home for 14 days. Staff who had not travelled could start working from the office from Feb 10, though that date could change, according to an internal note seen by Reuters. Bytedance declined to comment.
Wuhan, a city of 11 million and the epicentre of the outbreak, is already in virtual lockdown and severe limits on movement are in place in several other Chinese cities.
E-commerce firm Pinduoduo, UBS Group AG and property developer Country Garden have also advised employees returning from Wuhan or Hubei province to quarantine themselves at home.
Haidilao, operator of a popular hotpot restaurant chain, said it would shut stores across China from Sunday to Friday – one of the biggest temporary closures by a nationwide chain to date.
