UAE airlines will continue to operate flights to and from China, amid growing concerns about the spread of the coronavirus globally.

Etihad and Emirates confirmed on Sunday their operations remain unaffected as many international carriers have suspended their flights as new cases of coronavirus are reported every hour.

British Airways, Lufthansa, Qantas, as well as United States’ carriers Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and United Airlines, and others, have all suspended flights to China.

On Friday, Etihad announced the temporary suspension of passenger flights between the Chinese capital Beijing and Nagoya, Japan “due to low demand”. The carrier’s daily flights to Beijing will continue, it said.

Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi to mainland China and Hong Kong "continue to operate normally, following the World Health Organisation’s recommendation that normal travel and trade with China should continue," a spokeswoman for Etihad said on Sunday.

"However, Etihad’s connecting flight that allows passengers to travel on from Beijing, China to Nagoya, Japan, has been temporarily suspended from 3 February to 29 February, due to low travel demand.

"The safety and wellbeing of its passengers and employees is the highest priority of Etihad Airways, which continues to collaborate with authorities and industry partners, and to independently monitor global action to help address this issue."

On Saturday, the UAE announced a fifth case of coronavirus had been diagnosed in a patient who arrived in the country from Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak.

The new case brings the total number of infections in the UAE to five after four members of a family on holiday, from Wuhan, tested positive for the virus.

It is not known where the patients were diagnosed in the UAE or where they are being treated.

Abu Dhabi's education authority reassured parents that no cases of the coronavirus have been reported in the capital early on Saturday before the announcement of the latest case.

All five patients are said to be in a stable condition.

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On Friday, the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak of the new virus – which has been called 2019-nCoV – a global emergency.

There have now been 14,543 confirmed cases of coronavirus, the vast majority of which have occurred in China. In total, at least 305 have died.

The Philippines reported its first death from the virus on Sunday after a 44-year-old Chinese man from Wuhan succumbed to the disease. It is the first confirmed death outside of mainland China.

Countries across the world have advised their citizens not to travel to China, including the US State Department, which also urged those already there to leave.

A number of countries have also temporarily barred entry to foreigners travelling from China, including Singapore, Vietnam, Mongolia, Australia and New Zealand.

The virus results in pneumonia and has killed around 2 per cent of the people it has infected so far, according to current estimates.

SOURCE : GULTE