The first evacuations of foreign nationals from China took place Wednesday as the U.S. reportedly considers banning all airline flights between the two countries.White House officials reportedly told U.S. airline executives at a meeting Tuesday the administration has not decided yet to impose a ban, but it is continuing to assess the situation. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in response to a reporter’s question Wednesday about whether a broad travel ban to China is being considered, “The State Department constantly evaluates the risk to travelers.” He added, “We will evaluate it on a continuous basis, literally hour by hour.” As the death toll from the coronavirus outbreak soared to 132 people, and the number of confirmed cases increased to 5,974, surpassing China’s 2002-2003 SARS outbreak, the pace of evacuations from mainland China increased.A chartered jet flew 206 Japanese nationals from Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus, to Tokyo’s Haneda airport Wednesday. Four passengers were taken to a hospital after complaining of feeling ill. Medical personnel were on board the flight to screen the passengers before take-off and again when the plane landed. Another chartered jet evacuated about 200 Americans out of Wuhan on a flight to Anchorage, Alaska, where they passed a re-screening test before continuing onto the western U.S. state of California. Australia, New Zealand, France, Russia and other nations also have announced plans to evacuate their citizens out of Wuhan this week.Passengers wearing masks are seen at Pudong International Airport, in Shanghai, China, Jan. 27, 2020.British Airways announced Wednesday that it was suspending all direct flights to and from the mainland. Hong Kong is suspending all high-speed rail and ferry services from the mainland beginning Friday, while the territory and Malaysia have banned entry to visitors from Wuhan. Mongolia has closed its vast border with its neighbor.United Airlines, a major American airline, announced Tuesday it is suspending flights to Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai from Feb. 1 through Feb. 8.A United Airlines pilot who will be on the last flight out of Beijing told VOA that he and other company personnel who will accompany him are taking precautions. The pilot said his food consumption in China will be limited to goods he has packed in his suitcase, and that he and his colleagues would remain in their hotel rooms during their stay.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning against nonessential travel to China.In addition to the increased death toll, Chinese health authorities say the total number of confirmed cases has soared above 5,900, far exceeding the number of people infected during the outbreak of the SARS virus that killed 800 people worldwide between 2002-2003.Authorities have imposed a virtual quarantine on Wuhan, banning people from traveling in and out of the city. Several other cities in Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital, are facing heavy restrictions on movement. Wuhan is racing to complete two new field hospitals to treat the growing number of patients. The virus is believed to have emerged late last year at a Wuhan seafood market illegally selling wildlife.Children adjust their face masks as they and their mother wait in line at check-in counters at Beijing Capital International Airport, in Beijing, China, Jan. 25, 2020.The United Arab Emirates Wednesday confirmed that a family that had recently arrived from Wuhan has been diagnosed with the new coronavirus, making them the first confirmed cases in the Middle East. The UAE has now joined a list of more than a dozen countries with confirmed cases of the virus, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam. The World Health Organization says most of those are people who had a travel history in Wuhan, with several others having contact with someone who traveled there.The virus hit China just as it was beginning celebrations to mark the Lunar New Year, resulting in the canceling or the scaling back of festivities for tens of millions of Chinese. Chinese officials took an extra step Sunday to extend the Lunar New Year holiday three extra days to cut down on group gatherings.There have been no reported deaths linked to the virus outside of China.Chinese President Xi Jingping vowed the country will conquer the fight against a “devil” coronavirus outbreak during his meeting Tuesday in Beijing with Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization, according to state-run news outlets. Xi was quoted telling Ghebreyesus “we cannot let this devil hide.”
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