400tmax/iStock(NEW YORK) — American Airlines extended its flight suspensions to mainland China and Hong Kong through late April, citing “reduction in demand,” the company announced Tuesday.
“We will continue to evaluate this schedule and make any adjustments as necessary,” American said in a statement.
Other U.S. carriers have similarly suspended flights to China as the coronavirus outbreak continues. Delta Airlines canceled flights to mainland China through late April, while United Airlines suspended flights to China through late March and Hong Kong through late February.
In Geneva, top health officials have finally named the novel coronavirus that has sickened tens of thousands of people around the world.
The coronavirus is now called COVID-19, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general at the World Health Organization announced during a Tuesday news conference.
“Co” stands for coronavirus, “Vi” is for virus and “D” is for disease, Tedros explained. Health officials purposely avoided naming COVID-19 after a geographical location, animal or group of people.
“Having a name matters, to prevent the use of other names that can be inaccurate or stigmatizing,” he said.
In the United States, Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the Americans who were evacuated on the first charter flight out of Wuhan, China, were expected to be released home Tuesday after completing a 14-day quarantine.
Those individuals are currently being assessed to ensure that they remain symptom-free, Schuchat said at the National Press Club on Tuesday.
The CDC is also re-examining whether 14 days is an appropriate duration for future coronavirus quarantines, as scientists learn more about the virus and how infectious it may be before patients show symptoms.
“There’s lots of different thinking right now from the anecdotes of the different countries’ experiences,” she added.
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