Coronavirus: Kenya Airways suspends flights to China

Coronavirus: Kenya Airways suspends flights to China

National carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) has temporarily suspended flights to Guangzhou, China starting today, January 31, as fears over the deadly Coronavirus which has been declared a global emergency by WHO rise.

KQ had on January, 29, refused to suspend flights to the country even as other airlines like British Airways, American Airlines, Air Canada, Air Asia, Air India and Finland’s Finnair.

The airline had said assured weary passengers and Kenyans that it had implemented precautionary measures “to ensure our customers are safe.”

Two days later, Kenya Airways suspended flights until further notice but announced it is still flying to Bangkok.

“Further to our prior communication regarding the current Coronavirus outbreak, we have temporarily suspended all flights to and from Guangzhou starting Friday, 31st January 2020, until further notice. We however, clarify that our service between Nairobi and Bangkok remains operational,” read a statement from the airline.

“Our consultation with the Ministries of Health and Foreign Affairs will continue and we will provide updates as the situation develops. We apologise to all our customers for the inconvenience and reaffirm that the safety of our customers and staff remains our highest priority.”

The death toll from Coronavirus is currently at 213 after more than 40 victims – all of them in Hubei, the province at the center of the outbreak of which Wuhan is the capital – died on Thursday.

More than 9,600 coronavirus cases confirmed in China surpassing the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak that began in southern China, which killed 774 and infected 8,098 people worldwide.

The World Health Organization (WHO, has been declared Coronavirus as a global emergency.

“The main reason for this declaration is not what is happening in China but what is happening in other countries,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The concern is that it could spread to countries with weaker health systems.

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