Travel bans ineffective in virus battle, Asian airlines say

Governments should roll back or refrain from using travel restrictions as the coronavirus is mainly being spread through local transmission rather than imported cases, a trade group of Asian airlines said. “Given that the Covid-19 outbreak is now progressing across the globe, it is time for a fundamental rethink on travel restrictions,” the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines said in a statement, shortly before US President Donald Trump announced a 30-day suspension of travel from continental Europe to the US. The WHO has now declared the outbreak a pandemic, with cases worldwide rising beyond 125,000 and deaths exceeding 4,600. The virus has spread rapidly in Europe, where fatalities in Italy alone jumped 31% in a day to 827 on Wednesday. The airline industry has been plunged deep into crisis as travel demand dries up and countries tighten borders. Nearly half a million flights have been canceled this year for China alone, according to travel data company Cirium. “The proliferation of travel restrictions worldwide, and insufficient adherence to the IHR (International Health Regulations) are imposing enormous costs on society with little or no public health benefits,” AAPA’s Director General Andrew Herdman said. More than 90 countries have imposed travel restrictions, but only 45 states have informed the WHO and provided public health rationale for the measures, AAPA said, citing a WHO report from March 10. AAPA said the airline industry has been strictly adhering to WHO and IATA guidelines on hygiene, including for cleaning aircraft and lounges, and that it isn’t aware of any infections attributed to inflight transmission.<br/>