Ikea closes all stores in China due to coronavirus outbreak

Ikea, who has 30 stories in China, earlier said it was working with authorities in the cities and regions where it operates and was monitoring the situation closely. (AFP)

• Total number of confirmed deaths from the coronavirus has risen by 38 to 170

BEIJING: Sweden’s IKEA said on Thursday that it has temporarily closed all its stores in China because of the outbreak of the new coronavirus.
The decision to close all of its 30 stores follows an announcement from world’s biggest furniture retailer on Wednesday that it was closing around half of its stores and shortening the opening hours.
The total number of confirmed deaths from the coronavirus in China has risen by 38 to 170 as of Wednesday, as the number of infected patients rose by more than 1,700.