KARACHI: Amid fears of coronavirus spread, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced to suspend flight operations to China till 15 March.
According to the PIA spokesperson, that a final decision about extending or ending the suspension would be taken after reviewing the situation in an official meeting today.
READ MORE: Death toll from coronavirus jumps to 2870 in China
The move comes amid the spread of the deadly virus from Iran, where the death toll rose to eight since the infection was reported. Last month, Pakistan had suspended operations to China briefly amid coronavirus outbreak and allowed airlines to resume flights only after installing scanners at the airport.
Earlier, Taking precautionary steps to avert the spread of coronavirus, Pakistan, Turkey and Afghanistan closed its borders with Iran.
As per details, over 44 cases and eight deaths of the coronavirus have emerged in Iran where the government has closed all educational institutions and cultural departments to stop further spread of the coronavirus outbreak.
Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca while talking to journalists said all highways and railways leading to Iran will be closed; adding that flights from Iran have also been halted.
Afghanistan also closed its borders, suspending all passengers by air and road to and from Iran. Pakistan also closed its border temporarily and imposed a ban on travel of pilgrim into Iran by road as death jumped due to the virus in Iran.
At least eight people have died since the virus reported in the country this week. The death toll in an outbreak of a new coronavirus in China on Sunday has climbed to 2441, and more than 78,000 people have been infected.
