Pakistan suspends flight to China as WHO declares coronavirus a global health emergency

• The flights to China have been suspended until February 2.
• World Health Organisation has declared the coronavirus a global health emergency.

After the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the coronavirus a global health emergency, Pakistan on Friday has suspended its flight to and from China with immediate effect.

According to Reuters, Additional Secretary of Civil Aviation Abdul Sattar Khokhar said that flights to China have been suspended until February 2. The authorities will evaluate the situation and decide whether to extend the flight suspension, local media reported.

"Please be informed that as per decision by the competent authority at the appropiate level, all direct flight operations between Pakistan and China are to be stalled on immediate basis, initially till February 2, subject to subsequent view,"a press release by the aviation said.

Since the outbreak of the virus in China, four Pakistani students in Wuhan have been infected with the coronavirus. However, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza said that the government had decided against repatriation of the students in accordance with the recommendations of the WHO.

At least 213 people have died and as many as 10,000 cases of the Wuhan virus have been confirmed by China. Eight cases of the infection have also been reported in Germany, Japan, Vietnam and the United States.