BREAKING NEWS: Air India suspends all flights to China till June 20 amid coronavirus scare: Sources

NEW DELHI: National carrier Air India has decided to suspend all flights to mainland China till June 20 amid deadly coronavirus outbreak in the neighbouring country, which has so far claimed the lives of at least 2,118 people. Prior to this, Air India had suspended all flights to China till March 28.

According to Zee Media sources, the decision to this effect was taken during a high-level meeting held on Wednesday evening. The Air India CMD is expected to make a formal announcement in this regard today. In a related development, the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) largest plane C-17 Globemaster’s scheduled flight on Thursday to coronavirus affected city Wuhan in China to evacuate Indians stranded there was delayed due to technical reasons.

IAF`s plane was to carry medical supplies to China and then evacuate remaining Indians from Wuhan. Indian mission informed the stuck citizens that due to technical reasons, the date of the flight is being changed. Two days ago India had decided to send its C-17 military transport aircraft to Wuhan to evacuate more Indians. The C-17 Globemaster was also to deliver a consignment of medical supplies to China`s Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus epidemic.

Meanwhile, the overall death toll in China due to the deadly coronavirus has increased to 2,118, with a total of 74,576 confirmed cases, health authorities said on Thursday (February 20, 2020). The National Health Commission said that it had received reports of 394 new confirmed cases and 114 deaths on Wednesday from 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, reports Xinhua news agency.

Among the deaths, 108 were in Hubei province and one each in Hebei, Shanghai, Fujian, Shandong, Yunnan and Shaanxi. Another 1,277 new suspected cases were reported on Wednesday, said the Commission.

Also on Wednesday, 1,779 people were discharged from hospital after recovery, while the number of severe cases decreased by 113 to 11,864. The Commission added that 4,922 people were still suspected of being infected with the virus. 

A total of 16,155 people had been discharged from hospital after recovery so far. As of Thursday morning, the number of reported cases outside of China were Japan (705), Singapore (84), South Korea (82), Hong Kong (65), Thailand (35), Taiwan (24), Malaysia (22), Germany (16), Vietnam (16), Australia (15), the US (15), France (12), Macau (10), the UK (nine), the UAE (nine), Canada (eight), India (three), the Philippines (three), Italy (three), Russia (two), Iran (two), Egypt (one), Spain (two), Cambodia (one), Finland (one), Nepal (one), Sri Lanka (one), Sweden (one) and Belgium (one), according to figures published by the South China Morning Post. 

Hong Kong (two), the Philippines (one), Japan (one) and France (one) have reported deaths.

(With Agency inputs)