UPDATE - Serbia stops commercial flights from Belgrade airport

UPDATES WITH INFO ONTHE LAST FLIGHT

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - Serbia on Thursday suspended all commercial flights at the main airport in the capital Belgrade as part of efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Transport Minister Zorana Mihajlovic said all international flights to and from the Nikola Tesla Airport would be stopped from 12 p.m. local time (1100GMT) on Thursday.

“Nikola Tesla Airport in Belgrade remains open for all humanitarian flights and cargo traffic, and Serbia's air space remains open for all flights. The recommendation to passengers is to contact the airline for more detailed information on exercising their rights,” the minister said.

The last flight from the airport will be Turkish Airlines' TK1084 to Istanbul at 20.25 local time (2125 GMT) for Turkish citizens.

Special permission was obtained from the Serbian authorities for the flight.

Serbia has 97 confirmed COVID-19 cases so far, according to data compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

The government declared a state of emergency on Sunday and imposed a night curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. local time (1900GMT to 0400GMT) starting Wednesday.

The country has also shut its borders to foreigners, while schools, colleges, sports halls, and gyms have been closed.