DESPERATE MEASURES

China to Destroy Paper Currency From Hardest-Hit Coronavirus Regions

Beijing will also quarantine some notes for 14 days and disinfect them with ultraviolet light before returning them to circulation.

China’s central bank says it plans to destroy most of the banknotes collected by hospitals, markets, and buses in some regions hard hit by the new coronavirus. Fan Yifei, deputy governor of the Chinese central bank, said they plan to out pump 600 billion yuan ($85.6 billion) of freshly printed paper currency to replace the bills taken out of circulation. In other areas of the country, the government has ordered banks to remove incoming paper currency from circulation and replace it with the new cash. They have been directed to keep the cash under quarantine for 14 days and disinfect it at high temperatures and with ultraviolet light before returning it to the public.