Nestle SA, the world’s largest food and beverage company, told employees to avoid travelling for business reasons until the middle of next month to keep from contracting or spreading the coronavirus.
The Swiss maker of KitKat snack bars and Nespresso capsules shares global concerns over the spread and impact on public health of coronavirus, it said by email.
Nestle, which employs 291,000 people worldwide, is one of the first multinationals to take such a decisive step in the face of the outbreak. The virus, which emerged in China at the end of last year, has infected more than 81,000 people and killed at least 2,771, raising concern about a pandemic. It has spread from China to over 40 countries in less than two months, spurred by air travel.
The Nestle measure extends to March 15 and will be reviewed, the company said.