Austria bans indoor events of more than 100 people, minister says
Austria is banning indoor events of more than 100 people and outdoor events of more than 500 in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said today.
The measure is part of a package that also includes denying entry to people arriving from Italy with only a few exceptions. The measures were announced by Nehammer and Chancellor Sebastian Kurz at a joint news conference.
Hong Kong to quarantine visitors from Italy and parts of France, Germany, Japan
Hong Kong will quarantine all visitors from Italy and parts of France, Germany and Japan for two weeks from March 13 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the French consulate in the Chinese-ruled city said on Tuesday.
The Asian financial hub, a major transit centre in the region, will quarantine visitors from Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and Grand Est in France, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany, and Hokkaido in Japan from midnight on Friday, it said.
Serbia shuts borders for people from coronavirus-affected countries
Serbia closed its borders on Tuesday for travellers from countries most affected by the coronavirus outbreak to prevent spreading of the disease, the government said in a statement.
The temporary ban applies to people arriving “from Italy, certain provinces in China, South Korea, Iran and Switzerland”, it said. The government did not say when the ban would be lifted.
So far, four people in Serbia, including a Chinese national, have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Wizz Air suspends all flights to Italy, Israel over coronavirus
Wizz Air has suspended all flights to Italy and Israel after the two countries announced plans to try to beat Europe’s worst outbreak of coronavirus, the low-cost carrier said on Tuesday.
Flights to and from Italian airports will be cancelled from March 10 until April 3 and flights serving Israel’s Tel Aviv and Eilat will be suspended from March 12 until March 23, the company said.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has put all of Italy on lockdown from Tuesday until next month in an unprecedented move.
Israel will require anyone arriving from overseas to self-quarantine for 14 days as a precaution against the spread of coronavirus, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday.
Last week the Central and Eastern Europe-focused airline said it was difficult to predict the extent and duration of the outbreak and its impact on its new financial year, which begins next month.
Wizz Air’s rivals easyJet and Ryanair have also cancelled flights into and out of Italy.
British Airways cancels all Italian flights today
British Airways cancelled all fights to and from Italy on Tuesday after the country was put on lockdown until next month to tackle coronavirus, it said. “In light of the Italian government’s announcement and the UK government’s official travel advice, we have contacted all customers who are due to travel today (10 March),” the airline, owned by IAG, said.
