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On Tuesday, White House officials briefed U.S. airlines regarding the Trump administration’s consideration to suspending flights from China to the U.S. amid heightened fears of the new coronavirus that has infected thousands around the world, people familiar with the matter conveyed.
U.S. health officials told reporters on a conference call Tuesday that the government aims to introduce various measures to limit the scope of the fast-spreading virus.
A short-term ban on China flights is on the table, said people familiar with Tuesday’s conversations between the White House officials and executives at major U.S. carriers.
As of Tuesday evening, the Trump administration still needed to implement that step, and there was no conformity that it would do so.
Two people said the White House told them it doesn’t immediately plan to suspend China air travel, but administration officials are persistently evaluating the situation.
United Airlines, which undertakes most of the U.S. airlines’ services and has about a dozen daily flights to Hong Kong and mainland China, announced Tuesday it would halt most of its flights to mainland China and Hong Kong in the coming month as the coronavirus outbreak gets worse.
The Chicago-based airline claimed it went through a “significant drop in demand for travel to China.” It and its rivals, American and Delta, are waiving halt and change fees for passengers booked to China.
Administration officials said the suspensions could affect flights into and out of China and airports around the U.S. They refused to be named, citing that no final decision has been made yet.
On Monday, senior staff met at the White House to discuss travel restrictions for China.
Updates on New Coronavirus Outbreak
The new coronavirus plague has killed 106 people and infected over 4,700, according to Chinese health officials.
On Tuesday, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) expanded its warnings for travel to China, asking all United States travellers to avoid the country until the outbreak gets under control.
The health agency had previously advised against nonessential travel to Wuhan, the Chinese city that is the origin of the outbreak.
The Department of Health and Human Services informed that the CDC is widening its virus screening process from five to 20 U.S. airports.
“It’s important not to take anything off the table,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar when asked about the potential for any further travel restrictions.
On Monday, markets fell noticeably due to concerns that the new virus could impact worldwide growth. The major indexes returned to normal on Tuesday, fueled by gains in the tech and financial sectors.
President Trump said last week that the U.S. has a new coronavirus that is “under control.”
