Photo: Xinhua/Peng Zhaozhi

A Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) fast food employee responsible for food preparation was confirmed to have the novel coronavirus, triggering food safety concerns over the spread of the virus through human hand contact.

Local media outlet hsw.cn reported Saturday that the infected fast food employee worked on the food prep line at a KFC in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province for one week beginning January 17.

The story, which went viral on Chinese social media, included the employee's daily routine and his transportation routes.

Some netizens said they had purchased to-go food from KFC while others said they had ordered food through delivery services and are now worried if the food was contaminated with the virus.  

Some have called on the public to pasteurize food before eating it.

Fu Jierui, a resident in East China's Jiangxi Province who plans to travel to Beijing on Monday, told the Global Times that she has packed enough food to last her for one week out of concern that she could contract the virus from food purchased elsewhere.

According to Beijing News, a 62-year-old woman in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province, became infected with the virus as she had been in contact with an infected patient when buying roast duck on January 22. Three people were diagnosed with having the virus in a neighborhood close to the roast duck restaurant on Saturday.

Areas across the country have issued public announcements to ensure the food safety amid the battle against the coronavirus. 

Cities such as Tangshan, Harbin, and Fuzhou have implemented contactless delivery services. This allows customers to instruct the delivery driver where they can leave their food so the customer can pick it up, thus reducing human contact, media reported.