COVID-19: '83 territories placed travel curbs on China'

ANKARA

The coronavirus outbreak has affected China’s links with the outside world and adversely impacted the world’s second-largest economy, according to a report by an international think tank.

The report by Think Global Health (TGH) said at least 83 countries and territories part of the World Health Organization (WHO) have imposed restrictions on air travel with China.

The measures against China included border closures, entry or exit bans, visa restrictions, and flight suspensions, said the report, which relied on statements by governments, official state media stories, and other open sources.

There were also protests in Hong Kong, an autonomous region of China, demanding the closure of borders with the mainland.

TGH said the pressure of travel restrictions forced China to urge countries to reconsider the restrictions, with Beijing announcing it had taken “forceful action” to curb the outbreak.

China also held a special summit on Feb. 20 in Laos with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), asking them to lift the air travel curbs.

On Jan. 30, the WHO declared the outbreak an international health emergency.

However, it did not recommend any travel or trade restrictions against China or other affected regions.

The deadly coronavirus has claimed nearly 2,900 lives around the world since it emerged last December.

The death toll in China, the epicenter of the outbreak, is nearly 2,800 and the country has almost 79,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases.

Outside mainland China, the virus has spread to more than 45 countries, claiming over 50 lives and infecting more than 3,000 people.