Live updates of coronavirus:

Airlines suspending China flights

The airlines which have suspended all flights to China amidst the outbreak are: Air France (Until Feb. 9), British Airways (until end February), Air Seoul, Egyptair, Lion Air, Lufthansa (till end February), Swiss Airlines (till end February) and Austrian Airlines (till end February), Kenya Airways (till further notice)

Airlines that suspended few flights, or reduced capacity are:

• Singapore Airlines: reduced capacity on flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Xiamen and Chongqing.
• American Airlines: suspended flights from Los Angeles to Bejing and Shanghai from Feb. 9 - March 27.
• Delta Airlines: have reduced flights to 21 a week from 42, from Feb. 1 - April 30.
• Cathay Pacific: reduced capacity to and from mainland China by 50% or more, from Jan. 30 till end of March.
• Finnair: suspended flights to Nanjing and Beijing till end of March.
• Turkish Airlines: reduced frequency of flights to Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Xian from Feb. 5 - Feb. 29.

Pakistan has suspended flights to and from China

According to a Reuters report, Pakistan has suspended all flights to and from China until Feb. 2.

Japan has raised infectious disease advisory cautionary for China

Japan’s Prime Ministry Shinzo Abe said on Friday that the government is raising its infectious disease advisory level for the whole of China to 2 that means citizens should avoid non-urgent trips to the country. It has already told its citizens not to take any trips to China’s Hubei, which is the epicenter of the virus outbreak. The government said it would refuse entry to anyone who is infected.

SK Hynix says extended outbreak could threaten chip production

Top chipmaker SK Hynix warned that an extended coronavirus outbreak can pose a threat to its chip production, and it would decrease the annual investment after it announced a sharp fall in quarterly profit on Friday.

China sends chartered planes to bring home Hubei residents from overseas

The Chinese government will send chartered planes to bring back Hubei residents who are overseas. It’s in the view of the “practical difficulties” that residents in Wuhan or Hubei — the epicenter of the outbreak has been encountering overseas, the ministry said.

US has raised travel warning advisory for China to level 4

The U.S. Department of State has raised its travel advisory for China from Level 3 to Level 4, which means “do not travel to China.” It came just days after it changed its alert level to 3 on Monday, which means “reconsider travel to China due to the coronavirus.”

The notice said that travelers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice. Commercial carriers have reduced or suspended routes to and from China. Those at present in China should consider departing using commercial means. The Department of State has requested that all non-essential U.S. government personnel defer travel to China due to the novel coronavirus.

UK and South Korean citizens are evacuated from Wuhan

On Thursday, a plane carrying 83 U.K. citizens and 27 foreign nationals left the virus epicenter of Wuhan after a delay, according to a Reuters report citing the U.K. embassy in China. A flight carrying 368 South Koreans from Wuhan has also returned to Seoul early in the morning.

China has issued recommendation to cancel marriage registrations on February 2

China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs announced that it recommends localities to cancel marriage registrations on February 2, a popular date among couples as it was considered to be auspicious.

The ministry also recommended funeral agencies to take precautions in handling the remains of patients infected with the coronavirus.

Italy has discovered first coronavirus cases

According to the country’s health ministry, the first two coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Italy, saying that they are Chinese tourists. Also a day earlier, India and the Philippines has confirmed their first cases.

Italy has blocked all flights into and out of China.

China’s Shandong province has delayed start of work

China’s Shandong province told companies not to resume work until February 10, in a bid to tackle the spread of the coronavirus.

Shandong also joins other provinces and cities in delaying the start of work. Hubei authorities have also announced that businesses are not to resume work till midnight on February 13. Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Suzhou, Inner Mongolia and Zhejiang told businesses not to resume work till midnight on February 9.

China confirms death toll hits 213 and cases rise to 9,692

China’s National Health Commission said there have been an additional 43 deaths and 1,982 new confirmed cases, as of the end of Thursday. That counts the country’s total to 213 deaths and 9,692 confirmed cases.

Hubei province has reported 42 additional deaths

On Thursday, the Hubei Province Health Commission reported an additional 42 deaths along with an additional 1,220 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the region as of January 30. That counts to the total of 204 deaths and 5,806 cases in the province.

Pilots union has filed suit to halt American Airlines flights to China

The union that represents American Airlines’ pilots said that it’s suing American Airlines to halt service to China amid the coronavirus outbreak, which has killed more than 170 people in China and infected more than 8,000 around the world. The Allied Pilots Association represents 15,000 professional pilots who fly for American Airlines. The suit seeks a temporary restraining order that the APA would halt all American Airlines service between the U.S. and China.

First human-to-human transmission of coronavirus has been confirmed in US

On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Illinois public health officials confirmed the nation’s first person-to-person transmission of the coronavirus. The new patient is the spouse of the Chicago woman who brought the infection back from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak, Illinois health officials. The transmission has made the U.S. at least the fifth country from where the infection is now spreading through human-to-human contact.

WHO has declared global health emergency

The World Health Organization has said the fast-spreading coronavirus that has infected more than 8,200 across the world is a global health emergency. It is a rare designation that helps the international agency mobilize financial and political support to cover the outbreak.

Source: CNBC