China will suspend UK flights indefinitely over fears of new Covid strain

China will suspend direct flights to and from Britain indefinitely over fears of a new strain of the coronavirus, Wang Wenbin, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Thursday. “After much consideration, China has decided to take reference from other countries and suspend flights to and from UK,” Wang said. “China will closely monitor relevant developments and dynamically adjust control measures depending on the situation." There are currently eight weekly flights between mainland China and Britain, according to aviation data provider Variflight, including one each by Air China, China Eastern and China Southern. BA operates two flights a week from London to Shanghai. China barred non-Chinese travelers from Britain last month, including those with valid visas and residence permits, because of rising coronavirus cases.<br/>