With business in Chinatown dropping amid coronavirus fears, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf joined business leaders to urge people to shop and dine in Chinatown.
One woman with a popular business in Chinatown said she’s seen a lot of rumors on social media about the coronavirus and she’s worried it’s keeping people away.
Karen Fong, owner of the Shooting Star Café said tables are usually full with a line outside, but lately that hasn’t been the case.
“The virus has affected our restaurant a lot because people are saying that people from China have a virus in our restaurant,” Fong said.
Oakland has no confirmed cases of the coronavirus.
“We recognize that there are many false rumors, many fears and that this is hurting our business,” said Fong. “We are here to say that now is the time to support our business.”
Schaaf visited businesses Saturday and enjoyed some dim sum. People at the café said that efforts to stem misinformation are beginning to pay off, with some customers stopping by more often to support local business.
