Fear of MERS, a deadly respiratory disease, is spreading rapidly throughout the Middle East and East Asia as the death toll and number of infections rise. Chinese airlines are cutting the number of flights to South Korea as travel demand to the infected country falls.
Carriers curtailing flights across the Yellow Sea include Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Shandong Airlines, Capital Airlines and the budget carrier Spring Airlines.
“The Civil Aviation Administration of China on Friday ordered airline companies to strengthen education of crew members about the coronavirus and enhance disinfection after passengers disembark,” reports People's Daily.
Meanwhile, the CACC has increased its sanitation requirements by asking airline companies to direct their concerns to local hygiene and quarantine authorities if any suspicions of MERS arise.
MERS has hit particularly hard in South Korea, where 150 people have contracted the disease. Thousands are quarantined and the death toll has risen to 16 people since the outbreak last month.
South Korean officials said the outbreak was slowing despite the increase in deaths. The govenment has enforced strict quarantine measures and closed thousands of schools to prevent further spread of MERS.
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Before the deadly outbreak, the Republic of Korea had “surpassed Thailand and Japan to become the most favored destination for Chinese outbound tourists in 2014 with 6.1 million visitors,” notes People's Daily.
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