Cash Quarantined in China’s War on SARS
BEIJING (Reuters) – Money may be the root of all evil, but China is trying to make sure it won’t be a source of SARS.
BEIJING (Reuters) – Money may be the root of all evil, but China is trying to make sure it won’t be a source of SARS. The central People’s Bank of China was putting more new cash into circulation and holding used banknotes for 24 hours before putting it back into people’s hands, the People’s Daily newspaper said on its Web site on Tuesday. The Communist Party mouthpiece said some banks were even sterilizing grimy bills and showering them with ultraviolet radiation to try to kill the SARS virus, which has killed 148 people and infected more than 3,300 in China. The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, one of the “Big Four” state banks, was urging customers to use automated teller machines, telephones and the Internet to do their banking, it said. But the report cited medical experts as saying there was no clear evidence that people who frequently handled money were at higher risk of catching SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome. SARS is believed to be transmitted mainly by airborne water droplets, such as from coughs or sneezes, but there is some evidence it can be contracted via surfaces such as elevator buttons and door handles. Apart from battling dirty money, the central bank was also using its clout to help businesses making or selling medicine or equipment used to fight SARS and had ordered banks to step up lending and quicken loan approvals, the People’s Daily said.(Source: Reuters, Wed April 30, 2003 01:39 PM ET,)
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