A driver for a ride-hailing company is installing a plastic shield between the front and rear seats of his car to reassure passengers during the deadly coronavirus outbreak at a Beijing “disinfection station”.
Zhao Haijun, a Didi Chuxing driver, says the shield helps isolate him from passengers, and prevents the virus being spread through droplets in the air.
“Now, I don’t chat with the passengers,” said Zhao.
“In an extraordinary period, it’s better to be careful.”
The car-hailing giant has nine disinfection stations in the capital, each of which can sterilise around 400 vehicles a day.
In addition, there are also 46 plastic shield installation points around the city handling up to 100 cars each per day.
Unprecedented Measures Introduced by China
China has implemented unprecedented measures to try and contain the spread of the virus which has killed more than 2,600 people in the mainland including locking down tens of millions of people in the city’s epicentre, Hubei province.
There have also been tight restrictions on transport.
Across the country, residential buildings, offices and shopping centres are regularly spraying disinfectant, and checking the temperature of visitors.
In Beijing, all taxi drivers have to wear face masks, must direct customers to sit in the rear, and disinfect their cars twice a day.