McDonald's closes all branches in virus-hit Chinese province

US fast food giant McDonald's said on Wednesday it closed all of its restaurants in Hubei, Chinese province at epicenter of a virus outbreak that has spre beyond country's borders.

vel coronavirus outbreak traced to provincial capital Wuhan in central China has killed more than 130 people and infected nearly 6,000 people across country. That has prompted factories and businesses to close, airlines to cancel flights to country and governments to discour travel to China.

McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski called situation "fluid" and "concerning," and said chain decided to close all of its restaurants in Hubei, which amount to "several hundred." But three thousand outlets elsewhere in China remain open, he said during a call to discuss company's fourth quarter financial results.

"Right w, as you would expect, our priority's really on our employees, on our customers, doing everything we can to make sure that y are safe and taken care of," Kempczinski said, ding that company would establish a special team to deal with outbreak.

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China accounts for nine percent of all McDonald's restaurants but only about four to five percent of its sales and three percent of its income, he said.

But commenting on potential financial hit from virus, he said "its actual impact on our business is going to be fairly small, assuming, again, that it stays contained to China." re are w 16 countries that have confirmed cases of SARS-like illness, from United States to United Arab Emirates.

American coffee chain Starbucks anunced on Tuesday that it h shuttered half of its cafes in China, and Disney shut down its me parks in Shanghai and Hong Kong. McDonald's anuncement came as y reported healthy fourth quarter results, that showed sales growing worldwide by 5.9 percent with revenues of 5.35 billion, compared to final three months of 2018.

earnings were first since chief executive Steve Easterbrook left chain following a "consensual relationship" with an employee that violated company policy.

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