The Trump administration has told airline executives it is considering suspending all flights from China to the United States amid the escalating coronavirus outbreak.
On Tuesday, White House officials called major airline executives to inform them that the administration is considering a temporary ban on all China-U.S. flights. Companies such as United Airlines have canceled dozens of flights next month to mainland China, while others, such as Delta and American Airlines, are waiving cancellation fees for travelers to China.
CNBC reports the temporary travel ban from China was discussed at a White House senior staff meeting on Monday.
The reports follow GOP Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton’s recent call to restrict travel from China to the United States.
“Given the latest developments and the many unknowns about this virus, we ought to follow Benjamin Franklin’s maxim: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” Cotton wrote.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called the virus a “demon” after reports show 50 million Chinese citizens have been put in quarantine, over 4,500 have been infected with the virus, and 106 have died. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that scientists are looking into at least 110 cases of potential infection in the U.S.
