United Airlines Halt Flights To Hong Kong Amid Coronavirus Worries
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago-based United Airlines announced Tuesday that it is suspending flights to Hong Kong for about two weeks amid coronavirus concerns.
United said because of a continued drop in demand, flights to Hong Kong would be suspended from Saturday, Feb. 8 to Thursday, Feb. 20. The last flights will leave San Francisco on Wednesday, Feb. 5, and the last returning flight will leave Hong Kong on Friday, Feb. 7.
Hong Kong reported its first coronavirus fatality Tuesday.
United has already suspended travel to China – both because of a drop in demand and because of the U.S. State Department advisory not to travel to China due to coronavirus concerns.
Operations between United hub airport cities and Beijing, Chengdu, and Shanghai will be suspended starting Thursday and will continue until March 28.
The Centers for Disease Control recently issued its strongest travel warning, urging Americans to cancel all non-essential trips to China.
Chinese officials have blocked all transportation in and out of the city of Wuhan and surrounding areas, where the outbreak of the "2019 novel coronavirus" or "2019-nCoV" originated.
As of Tuesday, at least 425 deaths had been attributed to the coronavirus.
