By Grace Wong
https://twitter.com/GraceWong630
n the eve of Lunar New Year, a time meant for celebration with family and arguably the most important Chinese holiday, many Chinatown residents found themselves instead standing in line to buy bright blue boxes of face masks, seeking to protect themselves from the coronavirus after the first case was confirmed in Chicago.
By early afternoon Friday, the lone Walgreens in Chinatown was sold out. Meanwhile, some events celebrating Lunar New Year were canceled, and restaurant owners in the community complained of waning business.
Lunar New Year, celebrated from Friday to Feb. 4, marks one of the busiest travel seasons among Chinese, as it’s part of the cultural tradition to return to one’s hometown and reunite with family. But this year, many plans have come to a halt because of the coronavirus outbreak in China that has begun to spread to the U.S.
On Saturday, tourists and area residents walked mostly mask-free, and businesses were open like any typical day in January. Despite some festive decorations, activity in the area was light due to poor weather and coronavirus concerns.
https://www.courant.com/ct-met-coronavirus-chicago-chinatown-0124-20200124-n3s2hpsmgfclzekcp5beciiwk4-story.html