Chinese businesses in Mississauga have taken a substantial hit in revenue since the outbreak of the Coronavirus and misinformation around the illness, according to president of the city’s Chinese business association.

Mississauga Chinese Business Association (MCBA) president Winnie Fung said that Chinese restaurants in the city have seen an average 25 to 50 per cent drop in revenue, since “fake news” and misinformation about novel Coronavirus, now called COVID-19, began to spread.

While there are signs of improvement, including revenue increases, Fung said Chinese restaurants have been hit the worst and some are questioning whether they can survive.

“This is very time-sensitive for the businesses,” she said. “They may not be able to survive, some already have closed down.”

The virus, which affects the repository system, has killed 2,009 people with all but three deaths happening in China, according to a Feb. 19, 2020 report from the World Health Organization.

There have been only eight cases in Canada to date, and none in Mississauga. Peel Public Health has said the risk of getting COVID-19 is low at this time, and produced a document of facts and misconceptions about the virus.

To help boost restaurants and other businesses in the city, MCBA and other Chinese GTA business associations have started Spend to Win. The campaign offers a chance to win prizes for customers spending $30 or more at over 30 participating businesses, including two round-trip economy tickets anywhere Air Canada flies.

Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie was on hand Feb. 19, 2020 to launch the campaign at Foodie North, along with city councillors Ron Starr, Chris Fonseca and Stephen Dasko.

In an interview after the event, Crombie said she was surprised that businesses had seen such significant decline in sales, which was “largely fuelled by fear and misconceptions” on social media.

“The risk of Coronavirus is low to minimal today and we want our economy to thrive and our businesses to thrive and it's important that everyone come out and support our local Chinese businesses,” she said.