Coronavirus infections increase, flight carrying passengers from China arrives in UK
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A flight carrying 110 British and foreign nationals who were evacuated out of China over the coronavirus landed at Royal Air Force Brize Norton in Oxfordshire shortly before 2 p.m. local time. The passengers, which included 83 British and 27 foreign nationals, were accompanied by a number of medics who were equipped to "provide support."
“We know how distressing the situation has been for those waiting to leave,” Britain’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a notice on Friday. “We have been working round the clock to clear the way for a safe departure. The welfare of those trapped and public safety have been our overriding priorities."
The plane will then travel to Spain where the passenger's home countries will take responsibility for them, the notice said. Chinese officials had originally blocked the flight on Thursday morning, which expected to leave Wuhan with 200 people.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Travelers wear face masks as they prepare to board a train at the Beijing Railway Station in Beijing, Friday, Jan. 31, 2020. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Meanwhile, people in China are defying a lockdown by leaving and entering a bridge over the Yangzte River in Hubei province -- the country's virus epicenter. It's been on lockdown for vehicles, but people could still get out in "special circumstances," according to Reuters.
Weeks after China announced the outbreak of the coronavirus, the international community has increased measures to prevent a widespread epidemic.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a global emergency as it spreads to countries outside of China and the number of infected patients continues to grow.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), talks to the media at the World Health Organization headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)
Countries around the globe have increased travel restrictions to the infected mainland China and Hubei province -- with the U.S. State Department increasing its advisory to level 4: "Do Not Travel."
STATE DEPARTMENT, CITING CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK, RAISES CHINA TRAVEL ADVISORY: 'DO NOT TRAVEL'
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have advised travelers to avoid all nonessential travel to the country.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Coronavirus has now infected more people in China than were sickened during the SARS outbreak in the early 2000s. No deaths have been reported outside of the country.
This illustration provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in January 2020 shows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). This virus was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via AP)
Here are the latest figures.
How many have been infected or have died?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The death toll from the virus has increased to 213 on Friday, with a total of 9,692 infected. The number of cases has increased more than tenfold in a week, with 43 new deaths reported on Friday, the most in a 24-hour-period.
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Where is the virus?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Roughly 99 percent of new cases have appeared in China with the vast majority of the cases in Hubei province and its provincial capital, Wuhan. The virus has been reported in at least 16 countries globally.
The United States currently has six cases of the virus: two in California, one in Arizona, one in Washington and two in Illinois, health officials say. The sixth case was confirmed Thursday in a Chicago resident, who is the spouse of the first confirmed travel-related case in Illinois. The new case marks the first in the U.S. that occurred via person-to-person transmission, CDC officials said.
The United Kingdom announced on Friday it has two cases of the virus, who are reportedly members of the same family.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The patients are receiving specialist NHS [National Health Service] care, and we are using tried and tested infection control procedures to prevent further spread of the virus," said Chris Whitty, England's Chief Medical Officer.
France -- 6 cases
Thailand -- 19
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Australia -- 7
Germany -- 6
Canada -- 3
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Japan -- 16
Malaysia -- 8
South Korea -- 11
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Taiwan -- 9
United Arab Emirates -- 4
Vietnam -- 5
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sri Lanka -- 1
Philippines -- 1
Nepal -- 1
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Malaysia -- 8
Finland --1
Cambodia -- 1
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}India -- 1
Singapore -- 16
Italy -- 2
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}What are the current travel restrictions?
Officials at the CDC have advised travelers to avoid all nonessential travel to the country. The U.S. State Department raised its China travel advisory to "Level 4: Do Not Travel." The U.S. expanded the screening of travelers arriving from Wuhan from five to 20 airports.
"Those currently in China should consider departing using commercial means. The Department of State has requested that all non-essential U.S. government personnel defer travel to China in light of the novel coronavirus," The advisory said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}HOW IS CORONAVIRUS TRANSMITTED?
Pakistan says they're halting all flights to and from China until Feb. 2.
Singapore said it would ban travelers from China's Hubei province.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The United Kingdom and New Zealand also advised their people against nonessential travel to China.
Russia has signed an order to close the border between them and China. They also blocked tour groups from China.
China has cut off access to Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, trapping more than 50 million people.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Italy suspended all flights to China
South Korea urged an increase in its level of caution to "restraint" when traveling to China.
Hong Kong reduced half its flights and shut down rail service to mainland China.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}United Airlines, the largest U.S. airline to China suspended some flights to hub cities in China and reduced daily departures from 12 to four.
United's pilots, concerned for their safety, will be able to drop trips to China without pay, a union memo said, according to Reuters.
American Airlines suspended L.A. flights to and from Shanghai and Beijing.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents 15,000 pilots for American Airlines filed a lawsuit to halt service with the airline, citing “serious, and in many ways still unknown, health threats posed by the coronavirus."
"I am directing all APA pilots to cease flight operations between the United States and China," said APA president Eric Ferguson. "Until further notice, if you are scheduled, assigned, or reassigned a pairing into China, decline the assignment by calling your Chief Pilot or IOC Duty Pilot. Inform them you are declining in accordance with the CDC and WHO declarations."
AMERICAN AIRLINES SUED OVER CORONAVIRUS BY PLOT SEEKING TO CANCEL US-CHINA FLIGHTS
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Delta airlines reducing flights to China from 42 per week to 21 per week
British Airways suspended all flights to and from mainland China.
Virgin Atlantic suspending operations to Shanghai for two weeks
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lufthansa suspending flights to and from China until Feb. 9
Air India and Seoul Air halting all flights to the country.
Egypt Air suspending all fights starting Feb. 1
Air France suspending all flights until Feb. 9
Finnair, Cathay Pacific, and Jetstar also stopping service.
Lion Air canceled 50 flights to China into February.
Air Canada suspending all direct flights to Beijing and Shanghai.
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The Associated Press contributed to the report