Countries ban Bangladeshi flight crew amid virus fear

DHAKA, Bangladesh

A total of 11 countries have denied entry to the pilots and crew of a special flight which rescued stranded Bangladeshi citizens from the virus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan, an official said Monday.

The charter flight on Saturday brought back 316 passengers to the capital Dhaka where they are being kept in quarantine to avoid the spread of the fatal coronavirus which has claimed hundreds of lives since its outbreak last month.

"The countries have denied access to those Bangladeshi pilots and crew until the outbreak of coronavirus is contained,” Bangladesh’s Cabinet Secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam told Anadolu Agency.

Until then, the staff of 19 from Biman Bangladesh Airlines will only work domestically.

India, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Oman, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and the U.K. have currently imposed the restrictions.

Earlier on Sunday, Bangladesh suspended the visa on arrival for Chinese citizens for an indefinite period amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The coronavirus, whose epicenter lies in Wuhan, has raised alarm worldwide, with cases reported across Asia, Europe, the U.S., and Canada.

In China, 361 people have died of the virus as of Monday.