The Latest: Hong Kong to shut most of mainland China border

The Latest: Hong Kong to shut most of mainland China border

SeattlePI.com

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BEIJING (AP) — The Latest on the outbreak of a new virus from China (all times local):

5:35 p.m.

Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam announced the city will shut almost all land and sea border control points to the mainland from midnight to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus from China.

Lam said in a briefing Monday that only two border checkpoints — at Shenzhen Bay and the bridge to Macau and Zhuhai — will remain open.

Lam denied that the move was due to pressure from medical workers, who threatened a five-day strike to demand the government shut all borders to the mainland.

She said it had "absolutely nothing to do with the strike" and was instead simply a measure to stem the spread of the virus. Lam urged Hong Kong residents to "stand united" in combating the outbreak, which has killed more than 360 people, all but one in China.

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5:30 p.m.

The Czech Republic has plans to suspend all flights to and from China in an effort to prevent the new coronavirus from spreading.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis says the ban will take effect on Sunday. The lag gives 100 Czechs in China a chance to return home.

About 620,000 Chinese tourists visited the Czech Republic last year. The first direct flight connection between Prague and China was established in 2015. Three Chinese airlines operate flights to Prague from Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu and Sian (Xi’an).

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5:15 p.m.

Dubai’s long-haul carrier Emirates says it will continue flying to mainland China amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, but will fly smaller aircraft on many routes.

The airline said Monday it would swap out its double-decker Airbus A380 for a Boeing 777 on several routes to Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai.

The decision comes after Western and...

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