Chinese arrivals to U.S. plummet in February as coronavirus forces travel curbs

FILE PHOTO: A traveller wears a face mask as a preventive measure during the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as he arrives at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, U.S., March 20, 2020. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

(Reuters) - The number of travelers flying from China to the United States fell 84.1% in February from a year earlier, according to data from an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, as travel curbs were imposed to limit the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Arrival data from the International Trade Administration (ITA) also said the number of Chinese travellers in the first two months of 2020 fell 35.4% to 353,911 from a year earlier.