KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government has decided to temporarily suspend all scheduled and chartered flights from China to Sabah with immediate effect, said Deputy Chief Minister Christina Liew.
Liew said the decision was made during the state Cabinet meeting yesterday in light of the coronavirus threat and in the interest of the people’s welfare.
She stressed that it was only a temporary suspension until the situation was back to normal.
“Although this suspension will have repercussions on the state’s tourism industry, we want to avoid the risk of exposing our people to any possible carriers of the novel 2019-nCoV (coronavirus) infection.
“This travel ban is a very difficult decision and may not be well-received by our tourism players.
“However, the state has to make sure we do not jeopardise the wellbeing of the people, given the uncertainty of how the coronavirus epidemic is developing,” she said, in a statement here today.
Liew, who is also state tourism, culture and environment minister, said the state secretary’s office would inform all the airlines operating the China-Kota Kinabalu routes, of the government’s decision.
“This means that all flights from China will be halted, and there will be no entry for all travellers from the various Chinese cities to Kota Kinabalu during the suspension period,” she said.
She noted that the Chinese government has already banned its citizens in Wuhan, Xi’an, Beijing, Tianjin and Guangzhou from travelling abroad.
“The Sabah government is constantly being updated by the state health department. While there are no identified cases yet in Sabah, we all have to be alert and practise good personal hygiene habits.
“At the same time, we must keep ourselves abreast of correct information from reliable sources. And please refrain from spreading fake or unverified news,” Liew said. -FMT
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