White House May Suspend All China-US Flights Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

TANZANIA-CHINA-HEALTH-VIRUS

As the coronavirus continues to spread, U.S. authorities are considering suspending all flights to and from China. White House officials contacted the executives at the major U.S. carriers and told them the Trump administration may cancel the flights, but isn't willing to take action yet.

A few airlines have already canceled some upcoming flights to China. United Airlines, which runs about a dozen daily flights to China and Hong Kong, announced it would cancel numerous flights next month, and said that they have seen a "significant decline in demand for travel to China." American Airlines also announced they will be suspending flights from Los Angeles to Shanghai and to Beijing from February 9 through March 27. They will still have flights from L.A. to Hong Kong and continue to fly to China out of Dallas-Fort Worth.

The coronavirus has killed over 100 people in China and infected about 4,700 people around the world in just a few weeks. There have been five confirmed cases in the United States. Chinese authorities have tried to prevent the outbreak from spreading, locking down over 50 million in more than a dozen cities, including Wuhan, which is where the outbreak began.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a travel warning, advising travelers to avoid China while the Department of Health and Human Services has set up screenings for the coronavirus at 20 airports across the United States.

Photo: Getty Images


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