Spanish carrier Iberia stops China flights

Spain’s national airline Iberia says it is halting its three weekly round-trip flights between Madrid and Shanghai because of the coronavirus health alert.

The company said in a statement late yesterday that the suspension would start Friday and continue through the month of February, and could be extended.

It said ticketed passengers could change their flight dates or be reimbursed. Iberia said it would seek alternative arrangements for those passengers looking to complete booked return journeys within the suspension period.

Spanish health authorities said they were finalizing preparations to evacuate some 20 Spanish citizens from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus outbreak. They will be quarantined in an unspecified hospital for two weeks.

Spain has no confirmed cases of the virus so far.-AP