US Halts All Flights to China; Citizens Evacuated from Wuhan Face 2-Week Quarantine

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The US government has issued a two-week quarantine order for its citizens evacuated from Wuhan, China, the origin of the novel coronavirus infection, by charter flight, US media reported on the 31st (local time). US airlines have successively decided to suspend flights to China, effectively halting exchanges between the US and China.

Among the 195 people, including diplomats and their families working at the US Consulate in Wuhan and ordinary citizens, who returned to the US on the 29th via charter flight, they are quarantined at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County, California.

The CDC initially announced a 72-hour quarantine policy for the 195 charter flight passengers, but it appears the quarantine period was extended considering the incubation period. As the situation worsened with the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring an international public health emergency, the US government also raised its response level.

This is the first time in 50 years that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued such a quarantine order.

On the same day, US airlines simultaneously announced the suspension of flights to and from China. After Delta and American Airlines first announced suspension of operations, United Airlines, which had previously decided to temporarily suspend some routes, also decided to fully suspend flights.

US airlines made this decision after the US Department of State issued the highest level travel advisory the previous night, recommending against travel to all regions of China.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.