Airlines halt, reduce flights to China

Airlines worldwide are canceling or reducing flights to China in an effort to prevent the coronavirus from proliferating. 

British Airways, Air India, Seoul Air and Indonesia’s Lion Air are all stopping flights to the country, The Associated Press reports.

Additionally, Finnair, Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong) and Jetstar Asia (Singapore) are heavily reducing their service to the country, according to the wire service.

For its part, China has put the city of Wuhan — where the outbreak originated — and 16 other cities on lockdown in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus that has already killed more than 130 people. The expanded quarantine has affected roughly 50 million people, the AP reports.

Stateside, United Airlines announced Tuesday that it would significantly decrease flights from the U.S. to Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

In Washington, while talks of halting all flights from China to the U.S. have happened, the White House has yet to make a final decision, CNN reports.