Beijing Cancels Flights To Stem Virus Spread

Authorities in Beijing have raised an alarm, describing the city’s coronavirus outbreak as “extremely severe”.

As dozens more cases emerged, travels from the city were curtailed and its schools and universities shut down.

Beijing residents were also told to avoid “non-essential” travels out of the capital, and anyone entering or leaving will be tested for Covid-19.

Chinese media say more than 60 per cent of commercial flights in and out of Beijing have been canceled as the city raises alert level amid a new coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

The website of the Communist Party’s Global Times said that as at 9am on Wednesday, a total of 1,255 flights to and from the capital’s two major airports have been scrapped

According to the reports, the figure accounts for 67 per cent of outgoing flights and 68 per cent of incoming flights, the Global Times said.

Beijing has enacted a number of measures to limit travel in and out of the city, especially among those coming from districts where new cases have been detected.

The city had essentially eradicated cases of local transmission but in recent days has added a total of 137 new cases with no new deaths.

On Wednesday, Beijing authorities raised its threat level from 3 to 2, leading to the cancellation of classes, suspension of plans for opening up and stiffened requirements for social distancing.

Additional neighbourhoods were fenced off on Tuesday, with 27 now designated medium risk, which means authorities can impose stricter restrictions on the movement of people and cars and can carry out temperature checks. One has been designated high risk.

“The epidemic situation in the capital is extremely severe,” Beijing city spokesman Xu Hejian warned at a press conference.

“Right now we have to take strict measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.”