Hyderabad: Virus scare hits business hard

Hyderabad: With the confirmation of one coronavirus case and increasing number of suspected cases getting admitted to isolation ward of Gandhi Hospital seems to have serious impact on the business establishments.

While restaurants have seen steep decline in footfall, people are scared to visit bars and malls. In the last two days, business establishments, which contributed nearly 30 per cent of the total tax collections of the state government, witnessed a dip in the revenues. People are preferring to buy food and beverages through online and are making sure that they are not made in China. Hyderabad Bar Association leaders said that the virus threat may affect liquor sales more in the coming days. It is estimated that 20 per cent revenue fall in the bars.

Reports indicate that the number of people thronging restaurants particularly during lunch hour in the busy Hi-Tec city, Hubilee Hills, Banjara Hills and Secunderabad had gone down since Tuesday. Restaurants in Dilsukhnagar, Kukaptpally and other busy areas wore a deserted look on Wednesday. People are even scared of drinking fresh coconut water sold at roadsides.

The Hotels and Restaurant Association says that there has been a fall of about 50 per cent in the business. Association leader Ashok told The Hans India that recently the hotel industry has suffered huge losses due to aggressive campaign on social media that eating chicken and eggs could lead to spread of coronavirus and Minister for Municipal Administration K T Rama Rao had to pitch in to allay the fears by tasting chicken at a event organised on the Necklace Road.

Just as the hotel industry was hoping for good days, the reports of one positive case getting admitted to Gandhi Hospital came as another blow to them. Though this being the first week of the month, people are even hesitating to go to supermarkets or malls to buy their monthly groceries. A resident of Alkapuri Colony Y Chandrashekar said that he avoided to visit nearby mall fearing crowd may carry the dreaded virus. He said he had ordered some essential goods through online. Some urgent products, he said, he had purchased from neighbourhood kirana shop.

However, the fear has witnessed sudden spurt in sales of masks and sanitisers in medical shops. Most of the medical shops have run out of stocks of masks and sanitisers.