MORE THAN 60% of commercial flights in and out of Beijing have been cancelled amid a new coronavirus outbreak.

The Communist Party’s Global Times said 1,255 flights to and from the capital’s two airports had been shelved as of Wednesday morning, equivalent to 67% of outgoing and 68% of incoming flights.

Beijing has enacted a number of measures to limit travel in and out of the city, especially among those coming from districts where new cases have been detected.

The city of more than 21 million people had essentially eradicated cases of local transmission but in recent days has added 137 new cases with no new deaths.

Beijing today raised its threat level from 3 to 2, leading to the cancellation of classes, suspension of plans for opening up and stiffened requirements for social distancing.

No official public notice on a change in regulations has been issued by China’s civil aviation authority or by either Beijing Capital Airport – traditionally the world’s second busiest handling more than 101 million passengers – or Beijing Daxing International Airport.

Meanwhile, several provinces were quarantining travellers from Beijing, where all schools – which had mostly reopened – have been ordered to close again and return to online classes.

“The epidemic situation in the capital is extremely severe,” Beijing city spokesman Xu Hejian warned yesterday.