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There is no significant risk of contracting the coronavirus from euro banknotes, the European Central Bank said today, citing laboratory tests that showed the germs survived much longer on other surfaces.
Cash is still widely used in the 19-nation euro zone.
But many stores and businesses have asked customers to switch to cards or contactless payments to avoid handling bills possibly touched by an infected person.
ECB executive board member Fabio Panetta said tests by European laboratories showed that the coronavirus survival rate is “10 to 100 higher” on a stainless steel surface, such as a door handle , than on euro banknotes in the first hours after contamination.
“Other analyzes indicate that it is much more difficult to transfer a virus from porous surfaces like cotton bills than from smooth surfaces like plastic,” Panetta said in a blog post.
Euro banknotes are printed on pure cotton fiber paper, making them resistant to wear.
“In general, banknotes do not pose a particularly significant risk of infection compared to other types of surfaces that people come into contact with in daily life,” wrote Panetta.
In China, the central bank announced in February that it was using UV rays to disinfect banknotes in an attempt to curb the outbreak.
Panetta’s blog did not mention whether tests had been conducted on the risks of contamination when using euro coins.
More than 340 million people across the continent use the euro currency.
Cash remains the dominant mode of payment for euroz one consumers, said the ECB, which accounts for three-quarters of transactions. It is especially popular in large countries like Germany, Italy, and Spain.
The demand for cash has been “less predictable” during the coronavirus crisis, Panetta said, with some people piling up money at home while others are spending less because of blockages.
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