Adelaide City Council has rejected a petition from Chinatown traders calling for rates relief and a street party to combat a downturn related to coronavirus concerns.

Key points: A restaurant owner in Adelaide's Chinatown says business has fallen by an estimated 80 per cent

A restaurant owner in Adelaide's Chinatown says business has fallen by an estimated 80 per cent He said staff and customers were too scared to come to the area because of coronavirus fears

He said staff and customers were too scared to come to the area because of coronavirus fears Adelaide City Council is hoping a marketing campaign could help boost trade

Instead, the council voted last night to offer to help Gouger Street traders with a marketing campaign.

The 38 businesspeople who signed the petition had called for a six-month extension for rates to be paid.

Chinatown is one of many pockets of the city where traders usually look forward to a boom in business during Adelaide's annual festival season.

But Chao Chow restaurant manager Johnny Lian said this year had been very different, because of fears stirred up by the spread of coronavirus, which had coincided with so-called "Mad March", when the Adelaide Festival and Fringe are held.

"Three or four weeks ago, business [started] going down — 70 to 80 per cent," Mr Lian said.

"There are no customers in Chinatown … some restaurants have closed already.

"It's really hard because we have nothing to do … if it's not busy, we cut the chefs."

Adelaide has so far recorded seven confirmed cases of coronavirus.

While that is comparatively few, Mr Lian said it had been enough to keep away customers as well as staff.

"They are very scared. They don't want to come to work," Mr Lian said.

Adelaide City Councillor Simon Hou pushed for the campaign. ( ABC News: Michael Coggan )

Councillor Simon Hou said more needed to be done to support local jobs and businesses.

"Local businesses don't need [us] to chat to them with some nice words and photos — when we talk about support we need to consider the money into it," he said.

"Over the last couple of months we are all aware that local businesses are suffering — things are really tough.

"Many businesses need help with cash flow and I don't believe rate relief is an option.

"Businesses need more customers and that is something we must help them [with].

"Running a marketing campaign is actually what we need — we could bring more people back into the city and spend more money in the city."

Gouger and Grote streets are the centre of Chinatown in Adelaide. ( ABC News )

Stimulus not just for 'isolated pockets', Mayor says

The petition presented to last night's meeting also asked for dedicated funding for a street party to attract more people to the area.

But Councillor Phil Martin said a street party might not be a good idea.

"All the health authorities in other places are discouraging public gatherings, are discouraging people lingering … for their own health and safety," he said.

Councillors will consider funding for the campaign in its third-quarter budget review.

Also at the meeting, the Chinatown Association of South Australia (CASA) urged councillors to consider infrastructure improvements in the area, as well as financial relief.

Vice-president Laurel Dixon said the Lunar New Year Street Party attracted a big crowd last month.

"With pouring rain and everyone knows the threat of coronavirus, this event still welcomed 15,000 people," she said.

The Adelaide Central Market has also suffered a downturn in trade. ( ABC News )

Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor earlier said she was aware of Chinatown's difficulties, but that immediate stimulus measures would target the entire city, which would undergo a downturn once the festival season drew to a close.

The council yesterday announced a "targeted digital campaign", under the brand #MyAdelaide, which will encourage more people "to spend more time and more money in the city and North Adelaide" over the coming weeks and months.

"We've been dealing with an extraordinary year. We've had bushfires, drought and coronavirus," Ms Verschoor said.

"[This] is a way to stimulate some more activity in the city, particularly in the next few weeks as the Festival and Fringe and Womad finish."