In a thoughtful yet strange update coming in from China that is currently struggling with a massive health crisis, novel coronavirus, reveals how a Chinese firm has asked its employees share with them their walk count via an app. And if they fail to match that they are supposed to do push-ups as punishment. So they use a unique step-counting app shows if they walked too much while working from home. If they walked more than 1000 steps a day during the coronavirus outbreak the employees will be punished and they will then have to do push-ups. China's Coronavirus Outbreak: How Long Can the Deadly Virus Linger On Metal, Glass and Plastic Surfaces and Infect People?

This comes from the media firm in Shanxi Province who are supposed to do 20 push-ups if they are found to have walked more than 1,000 steps a day, according to Daily Mail. While it may seem insane and controlling to many the main aim of this unusual rule is to make sure that the employees don't move around too much during the epidemic and also work better from home. They deem it to be important so that they carry out self-quarantine and protect themselves. Coronavirus Outbreak: Here’s How 2019-nCoV Spreads in Humans; Are Animals and Pets Responsible for Transmission of Disease? All FAQs Answered by WHO. 

Not all employees are against the rule, in fact, an employee said to DM that he supported the rule. "I cannot say that [the policy] is reasonable or unreasonable. [After all], it does not involve financial penalties. What's more, doing push-ups can help me exercise. I think it is pretty good," he said. He claimed that he had walked too much because he had to walk his pets in his courtyard. Difference Between Coronavirus and Seasonal Flu Exhibiting Respiratory Symptoms? Everything You Need to Know About the Two Infections. 

Moreover, if their step count exceeds 2,000, the employees must also reveal their day's activity to the firm, reports say. The Hubei Province in China has currently banned its citizens from stepping out. One can only step out in the epicentre city of the outbreak under "special circumstances".  It is now only allowing one person of each household to go out once every three days to buy life necessities, reports reveal. Officials have also ordered citizens in Wuhan - where the virus originated - to stay at least five feet away from each other.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 19, 2020 08:49 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).