DETROIT – Delta made a big decision in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
The company is suspending flights between the United States and China starting Sunday. Delta currently operates 42 weekly flights between the U.S. and China, including daily service connecting Beijing and Detroit.
READ: Delta moving up its suspension of flights between the US and China in response to coronavirus
Previously, Delta had announced suspension of flights to begin on Thursday.
The eighth case of the coronavirus in the U.S. was confirmed Saturday. A Boston man in his 20s tested positive for the virus after returning from Wuhan, China. There are now confirmed cases in Massachusetts, Illinois, California, Washington and Arizona.
As of Saturday night, there were 14,380 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 304 deaths.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar declared a public health emergency Friday over the coronavirus.
“There have been several suspected cases within the state of Michigan," said Local 4′s Dr. Frank McGeorge. “They have all turned out to be negative, but this is a concern in the general sense that it’s a public health issue.”
READ: Fourth possible case of coronavirus in Michigan comes back negative
It’s a health issue that’s relatively new and doctors are still trying to determine the best way to protect people from the coronavirus.
“There’s a great deal that we don’t know about the virus and there’s probably going to be much more coming as researchers investigate it more," McGeorge said.
McGeorge said the best way to avoid being infected is to avoid being exposed to those that have the virus, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth; and to wash your hands often with soap and hot water.
The U.S. is implementing a mandatory 14-day quarantine for any citizen who is traveling from Wuhan.
Delta expects flights to resume April 30, but that date could change pending on how the situation evolves.
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