Tatiana Sanchez and Anna Bauman

Ties to

China are stronger in the Bay Area than anywhere else in the United States, with flights shuttling more than half a million Chinese tourists to and from the region each year, local tech giants building their goods there, and 1 in 5 residents of San Francisco claiming Chinese heritage.

Because of that, the impact of the coronavirus spreading out of China — named COVID-19 on Tuesday — goes well beyond a health scare in the Bay Area. Last year, Chinese visitors spent $1.3 billion in San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo counties. Shuttered factories in China, vanished customers from local Chinatown restaurants and stores, and canceled flights all have bruised this region’s tourist attractions and scrambled family plans.

“We’re checking the news every hour” for virus updates, said San Francisco resident Edith Kwong, 41, whose uncle lost his chance to visit the Bay Area after airport officials in Hong Kong repeatedly canceled his flights.

Kwong is among many Chinese Americans in limbo, unsure of when — or if — stranded relatives will arrive. Business owners are concerned, and customers impatient.

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https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Booming-ties-with-China-means-a-Bay-Area-bust-15048758.php