Experts warn of economic impact from closures, bans

MILWAUKEE — Travel restrictions and business closures aimed at stopping the spread of a new virus that has killed 259 people in China could end up causing ripple effects that harm the global economy, experts say.

“When you stop planes and ships, trains and and motor vehicles from moving, it starts to shut down the economy — and that can have a cascading effect throughout society,” Dr. Eric Toner, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said Saturday, after multiple airlines announced that they would suspend or cut back on flights to and from China, and several countries, including the U.S., imposed travel restrictions. “And it’s not just airline pilots who get out of work, I mean, it’s you know, it’s everybody that they depend on.”

It’s not just airlines that have cut back on business in China. Apple Inc. announced Saturday that it was temporarily close all of its offices and its 42 stores in mainland China. Google, Amazon and Microsoft previously announced plans to temporarily shutter offices, and Starbucks and McDonald’s have closed some chains.

Apple said it was acting “out of an abundance of caution and based on the latest advice from leading health experts.” Its stores will be closed until Feb. 9.

Toner said Apple’s decision could also be harmful to the economy and Apple itself, though he noted that many companies, including airlines, are trying to protect their employees.