Abu Dhabi, June 18: Rumours circulating about an employee of a fast food outlet in Dubai contracting H1N1 have been denied.
A statement from McDonald’s read: “McDonald’s strongly denies the rumours being circulated among mobile and internet users, falsely claiming the detection of an H1N1 virus (known as swine flu) case among its employees and the closure of one of its restaurants. These rumours are not true whatsoever.
“McDonald’s hereby reassures its customers that their safety and wellbeing, as well as the safety of its employees and restaurants, is a top priority, and that all its staff are trained to continuously implement the most rigorous hygiene procedures, and its products undergo some of the most stringent safety tests in the world.
The hoax email cited a McDonald’s branch on Al Nasr Street, Bur Dubai.
“Finally, McDonald’s kindly asks the general public to be careful about rumours and not to believe or spread them, and advises everyone to rely only on credible and transparent information coming from official bodies,” the statement read.
Previously, Municipal authorities denied the shut-down of any fast food outlet in the country for reasons related to H1N1, Gulf News reported.
Mohammad Jalal Al Rayaysa, Director of the Public Relations and Communications Department at the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, assured that none of the fast food outlets have been closed down in Abu Dhabi or any other emirate. He told Gulf News what is in the SMS is just a rumour and if there was any related issue, it will be announced in coordination with the Health Ministry and the National Committee for combating H1N1.
He said the evidence that what is in the SMS is a rumour is the fact that scientifically, it is known that H1N1 virus does not spread through cooked food as the virus tends to die at a certain temperature. He said the SMS is just to spread panic among people. He called on the public not to believe rumours and call toll free 800 555 in any emergency and to verify such information.
The Food Control Department of Dubai Municipality also denied the closure of any fast food outlet for reasons related to H1N1.
—-Agencies