RUMORS: Public condemns rumors aimed at influencing...
People work in a workshop of Harbin Boiler Company Limited in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 10, 2020. (Photo: Xinhua)
Public condemns rumors aimed at influencing companies' return to work
A company in East China denied Tuesday to the Global Times a rumor that said an employee was infected with the novel coronavirus pneumonia while working during the Spring Festival holiday when the government did not allow companies to resume work.
Observers condemned such rumors, as they could
influence companies looking to restart work after an extended holiday,
and could further harm the recovery of some companies and the economy
hit by the virus outbreak.
An operator in the reception of
Oriental Industry (Suzhou) Ltd. in Jiangsu Province confirmed with the
Global Times they are the company netizens were spreading rumors online
about, but said the employee was not a confirmed patient. The employee
had been tested twice and came back negative both times, the operator
noted.
The company did not shut down during the Spring Festival
as in previous years and restarted work on Tuesday after temporarily
stopping work for employees' safety, according to the operator.
The
company would arrange for employees to have meals in batches, take
their temperatures twice a day and disinfect the factory, the operator
noted.
However, the operator failed to explain why the company did not shut down amid the virus outbreak.
According
to the website of the Suzhou government, companies in the city could
not resume work before Monday for the public's safety and health.
The
response came after a screenshot of a WeChat chat record circulated on
social media on Monday saying that an employee has been confirmed to be
infected with the virus during work as the company in Suzhou restarted
work early, which caused more than 200 employees to be put under
quarantine.
The rumor triggered panic among local residents, local media outlet yangtse.com based in Nanjing, Jiangsu reported.
The
report said the company's 425 employees worked during the Spring
Festival and one person surnamed Wen who lived in the company's
dormitory suffered a sore throat on January 28.
Wen took a train
to Shanghai on January 20 but had not been to epidemic areas such as
Wuhan, where the coronavirus originated, the report said.
Some
netizens criticized the company for continuing to work during the
national fight against the virus outbreak, as the virus can easily
spread when people gather together.
Some condemned the rumor, saying it could exacerbate the public's fear.
A
local official in Jiangsu who requested anonymity told the Global Times
that some made-up rumors about resumption of work times could influence
companies seeking to return to work in accordance with regulations and
even harm local economic recovery and social stability, and should be
seriously investigated.
Another rumor saying a Lens Technology
company based in Changsha, Central China's Hunan Province, had a
confirmed case of the virus, forcing the company's factory to be sealed
off, was proved to be fake, and the company resumed work normally, media
outlet guancha.cn reported Tuesday.
Police detained a man in
Northeast China's Liaoning Province who fabricated and spread rumors
that Dalian had postponed companies' resumption of work time.
Authorities warn public against foods claiming to help prevent or treat virus
File photo: China Daily
Any food product that claims to be effective in preventing or treating the novel coronavirus pneumonia is false advertising, according to a notice posted on the WeChat account of the Shanghai Administration of Market Regulation on Feb 11.
The administration's post was in response to advertisements on WeChat where some vendors are claiming that their products, specifically probiotics, can help with the prevention or treatment of the virus.
According to the administration, food safety laws strictly prohibit false advertising or claims that a particular product can help with disease prevention and treatment. It also called on food producers and vendors to operate in good faith.
Consumers should avoid trusting or buying such products, and all violations of the law will be investigated and penalized, the administration added.
The administration had on Feb 11 also released a notice regarding advertising during the ongoing outbreak. It stipulated that advertising services for the illegal sales, purchases and uses of wildlife products, advertisements on prevention and treatment measures and folk prescriptions, and commercial promotions that could easily lead to overcrowding or increasing the risk of infection are strictly prohibited.
Source: Global Times; https://peoplesdaily.pdnews.cn;China Daily
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