Coronavirus: Delta Temporarily Suspending All US-China Flights

GEORGIA — Delta has decided to temporarily suspend all U.S.-China flights from Thursday through April 30 due to ongoing concerns related to the new coronavirus, the airline said in a news release on Friday. Between now and Wednesday, Delta will continue to operate flights to ensure customers looking to exit China have options to do so.

The last China-bound flight departing the U.S. will leave Monday, with the last return flight to the U.S. departing China on Wednesday. The airline said it will continue to monitor the situation closely and may make additional adjustments as the situation continues to evolve.

Customers whose travel plans are affected can go to the My Trips section of delta.com to help them understand their options, including:

• Reaccommodation to flights after April 30
• Requesting a refund
• Contacting Delta to discuss additional options

Changes to Delta's schedule will be effective on delta.com beginning Saturday, the carrier said.

For customers with bookings on flights through Wednesday, Delta said it will continue to offer a change fee waiver for those who wish to adjust their travel plans for U.S.-China flights.

Delta currently operates 42 weekly flights between the U.S. and China, including daily service connecting Beijing and Detroit and Seattle, and Shanghai and Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles and Seattle.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is closely monitoring an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a new coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Chinese authorities are working to contain the new coronavirus, which has resulted in more than 7,800 confirmed cases in China, including outside of Wuhan City.

Additional cases have been identified in a growing number of other international locations, including the United States.

As of Friday, there have been six confirmed cases of the virus in the United States in Washington state, California, Arizona and Illinois, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Health officials say the risk of the coronavirus appearing in Georgia is low overall, but the CDC has shared precautions that doctors and facilities should follow. Health care providers who suspect a new coronavirus infection in a patient are directed to report them immediately to the DPH by calling 866-PUB-HLTH (866-782-4584).

Clinicians in Georgia who see a patient with signs of the coronavirus are directed to obtain a detailed travel history for patients with fever and acute respiratory illness.

If a patient meets the criteria of a patient under investigation in association with the outbreak of the coronavirus, the clinician should:

• Ask the patient to wear a surgical mask.
• Evaluate the patient in a private room with the door closed, ideally in an airborne-infection isolation room if available.
• Use standard, contact and airborne precautions, and eye protection (such as goggles or face shield).
• Immediately notify both infection control personnel at their facility and the DPH at 866-PUB-HLTH (866-782-4584) in the event of a patient under investigation. They should be sure to ask for a DPH medical epidemiologist.

The CDC began public health entry screening last week at airports in San Francisco, Kennedy in New York, Los Angeles, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta and Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.

According to the CDC, coronaviruses are part of a large family of viruses that cause illnesses both in humans and animals. In rare cases, animal coronaviruses can evolve to infect people. The new virus is officially referred to as "2019 novel coronavirus" or "2019-nCoV."

More cases are expected in the U.S, the CDC said, even though the overall risk of the new coronavirus to the general public is low. The best way to prevent infection of any respiratory virus is:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cough or sneeze into your elbow or use a tissue to cover it, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces

Patients with confirmed the new coronavirus infection have reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath. The CDC believes that symptoms of the virus may appear in as few as two days or as long as two weeks after exposure, the release said.

Researchers around the globe are still determining precisely how the virus spreads. Early on, many of the patients in the outbreak in Wuhan, China, reportedly had some link to a large seafood and animal market, suggesting animal-to-person spread. However, a growing number of patients reportedly have not had exposure to animal markets, indicating a person-to-person spread is occurring. At this time, it’s unclear how easily or sustainably this virus is spreading among people, the CDC said.

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