Virus fears hurting Chinatowns in US

In major U.S. cities, Asian American businesses are seeing a remarkable decline in customers as fear about viral outbreak from China spres. City and health officials are trying to staunch financial bleeding through information campaigns and personal visits to shops and restaurants, emphasizing that, with just over a dozen confirmed cases in entire country, re is reason to avoid m.

Business owners, some of whom have seen ir customer traffic cut by more than half, are anxiously waiting for things to return to rmal.

m Wah tea Parlor, oldest restaurant in Manhattan's Chinatown, has seen a 40% drop in business over past three weeks, said manr Vincent Tang, whose cousin Wilson Tang took over restaurant from his far. rmally, restaurant fills up at lunchtime.

But during a recent weekday, nearly half tables were empty, although it was at least busier than many of its lesser-kwn neighbors.

"We're lucky to have loyal customers," said Tang, sitting near an empty row of green stools that he used to swing around in as a child. "Usually at this time we are packed and re is a line outside."

Customers at m Wah said y were perplexed that ors were staying away.

virus has sickened tens of thousands of people, mostly in China. Fifteen people have been confirmed to be infected in U.S., all but of two of m people who recently traveled from China.

Vegetarian Dim Sum House has been a fixture in Manhattan's Chinatown for 23 years, but suddenly, owner Frankie Chen said he will t be able to make his rent this month.

Chen said sales have plunged 70% over last two weeks at his -frills restaurant. Three couples trickled in for lunch on a recent weekday.

rmally, Chen said he gets up to 30 customers for lunch. At dinnertime, his narrow restaurant is usually packed with about 70 diners.

se days, he gets about four.

Chen has sent some of his staff on vacation to cut costs. Under circumstances, he will ask his landlord to forgive a 5% late fee rmally charged.

crisis has alarmed New York City officials and business leers, who have launched a campaign to lure people back to hard-hit communities in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn.

"Chinatown is bleeding," said Wellington Chen, executive chairman of Chinatown Partnership, a local business and community group. "This thing is thousands of miles away. This fear is really out of proportion."

New York City is home to more than half a million Chinese Americans, biggest population of any U.S. city. Some New Yorkers of Chinese descent are frustrated at being me to feel like foreigners because of a disease outbreak that feels as far away to m as any or resident.

With confirmed cases of virus in New York City, officials and politicians are trying to drive home point that re is reason to avoid any neighborhood, with many eating at Chinese restaurants and tweeting out photos under hashtags #supportchinatown.

In San Francisco Bay Area, situation is dire eugh that Sunny Wong's family is considering temporarily closing one of four restaurants y own in Oakland Chinatown.

Even some of his friends and patrons have told him about hearing of untrue rumors of people getting sick at one of his restaurants.

"People just are clueless. y hear stories and rumors and y just don't really look for facts in a situation," said Wong, ding that he has h to cut back hours for his workers.

Carl Chan, president of Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, said business owners have reported a drop of roughly 50% to 75% in business. chamber is planning a Chinese New Year celebration, with Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf encouraging residents to patronize Chinatown restaurants.