SRINAGAR: At a time when the deadly disease—Coronavirus has plunged entire J&K into panic mode, the demand for Chinese food across Kashmir especially Srinagar has sharply gone down.
“People have stopped eating Chinese food available in the city restaurants amid fears that Chinese foods may carry Covid-19”, a restauranter said adding this has happened despite experts clarifying that “Chinese foods available in Srinagar restaurants doesn’t carry the disease.”
Youth are searching on the global search engine—Google whether the Chinese foods carries the disease that has taken the entire world by a storm. “Does Chinese foods carry Coronavirus” is a common search query these days.
“I thought to clear whether Chinese foods also carry the virus. There is still a doubt, though doctors in Kashmir have ruled out it completely. But we have decided to stay away from Chinese food for some time,” said Aijaz Rasool, a student at Kite Polytechnic Institute Srinagar.
Like Aijaz, there are many youth, who at present are busy searching whether Chinese food can carry Covid-19. An employee at Samci restaurant in the heart of city centre, said that since the panic created by the Covic-19 disease, there are hardly any customers who order for Chinese foods. “They are instead demanding traditional wazwan. Orders for Chinese food have drastically gone down,” he said.
The situation is quite similar at other city restaurants known for selling Chinese food that include ‘Mummy Please’, Tao Café, De-Linz etc.
Imtiyaz Ahmed, chef at one of these restaurants said that there is a considerable dip in the order as far as Chinese items are concerned. “I have also changed the menu. Instead of preparing Chicken Manchurian which was high in demand till January this year, I prepare Wazwan dishes,” he said.
An expert at SKIMS, Soura said that there is no evidence that foods carry Caronavirus. “So far it’s all about human to human contact. But if people of Kashmir have stopped Chinese dishes for some time, let it be,” he said, wishing not to named.
China’s Wuhan province has been the epicenter of deadly Caronavirus which has claimed over 4500 lives so far across the globe besides leaving some 1.5 lakh people infected, who are now improving after being quarantined.
According to the government estimates 1433 travellers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been enlisted for surveillance and, so far, only one case has tested positive in Jammu and Kashmir.
“1178 persons have been kept under home quarantine while as 17 are in hospital quarantine. Persons who are under home surveillance stand at 80 while as 158 persons have completed their 28-day surveillance period,” a government spokesman said on Friday.
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