MOSCOW, Feb 6 — Virgin Australia today announced it was suspending all flights to Hong Kong amid the ongoing protests in the Chinese autonomous region and the new coronavirus outbreak in China, reported Sputnik news agency.

"Virgin Australia has today announced it will withdraw its services between Australia and Hong Kong following a comprehensive review of the route. The Hong Kong market has remained challenging for the airline and demand has continued to decline following ongoing civil unrest. These factors, combined with growing uncertainty around the recent coronavirus outbreak, have led to the decision to cease operating services,” the press release read.

According to the statement, the airline is suspending its Melbourne-Hong Kong services from Feb 11. Sydney-Hong Kong flights will be suspended starting from March 2.

The new strain of coronavirus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December and has since spread to more than 25 countries. The epidemic has already left over 28,000 people infected and over 560 dead, the vast majority of them in China. — Bernama