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A total of 46 foreign airlines have so far suspended flights to and from China due to the spread of the novel coronavirus originating in the Asian country, Sputnik news agency quoted the Civil Aviation Administration of China as saying on Tuesday, accoridng to Bernama.

"Due to the spread of the new type of coronavirus, the demand in the international aviation market has sharply decreased and a number of countries imposed restrictions on the entry and exit of Chinese citizens. To date, 46 foreign airlines have announced the suspension of flights to and from mainland China," the statement said.

The new strain of coronavirus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late December and has since spread to more than 20 countries. The virus has so far killed 425 people in China and infected over 20,000 others. On Sunday, the first coronavirus-related death outside China was confirmed in the Philippines. Earlier on Tuesday, Hong Kong, a special administrative region in China, reported its first death from the coronavirus.

Airlines around the world, including American Airlines, British Airlines, Lufthansa, Finnair, EL AI, Scandinavian Airlines, Air India, Air Canada and others, have suspended their China flights to prevent the deadly illness from spreading.