KQ defies Embassy's advise to stop flying to Coronavirus hit China

National carrier Kenya Airways has defied the advise of the Kenyan embassy in China which had asked it to halt flights to the Asian nation that has been hit by the deadly coronavirus.

KQ responded on Wednesday that it would not stop flying to China but would instead closely monitor the situation by ensuring precautionary measures are taken during the affected flights.

The national carrier surprise decision came after Kenya's Ambassador to China Sarah Serem on Tuesday called on KQ to suspend all flights to China until the coronavirus outbreak is contained.

Already, the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) is treating a suspected case of coronavirus involving a KQ passenger who flew from China to Kenya.

The airline said it had quarantined the patient on the advice of the health official at the Chinese airport.

On Wednesday, British Airways suspended flights to and from mainland China to avoid escalation of the deadly coronavirus.