Story By: John Feng, Sub-Editor:  Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report

These images show some of 1.3 million plastic metro tokens being disinfected by a city’s disease-prevention hazmat workers as the Wuhan coronavirus surges in China.

Metro workers in the city of Nanning, capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in South China, have been collecting reusable plastic metro coins since 30th January.

The tickets are touched by some 15,700 commuters who use Nanning Metro lines 1, 2, and 3 every day, the public transport company says.

As of 4th February, staff members have been able to identify and remove from circulation all the metro tokens which are believed to include those used by 10 suspected coronavirus carriers.

Lin Peng, who works for the ticket management office, says employees in full hazmat gear have disinfected over 1.3 million plastic coins to date.

He told local media: “We’re disinfecting about 100,000 tokens every day.

“We began on 30th January and do it by collecting all coins used on Nanning Metro lines.

“We submerge the coins in disinfectant for 30 minutes and then air-dry them using fans.

“Only then are they cleared for reuse.”

To ensure the disinfection process does not cause a shortage of single-journey metro tokens, some 300,000 more coins have been manufactured.

The Wuhan coronavirus has so far killed 637 people in mainland China, where there are also 31,207 confirmed cases.

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