This is why it does not come as a surprise to learn that over in China, it seems that the country has ramped up its efforts to clean its money by sanitizing it to help reduce contagion risks. Since money changes hands very quickly and easily, it’s not surprising that many consider it to be “dirty”, hence the step up in the sanitization of older money.
In addition to ramping up efforts at sanitization, the People’s Bank of China will also be adding 600 billion yuan (about $85.9 billion) of new cash for Hubei, which is the epicenter of the coronavirus. According to Fan Yifei, People’s Bank of China’s deputy governor, “Money from key virus-hit areas will be sanitized with ultraviolet rays or heated and locked up for at least 14 days, before it is distributed again.”
The bank will also be advising commercial lenders to try and separate cash from hospitals and food markets, while also quarantining cash for a week that has been circulated from less risky areas.