China has cancelled permits for Mount Everest for the reason of the coronavirus outbreak, expedition organisers made this known on Thursday, ahead of the spring climbing season on the world’s premier peak. Last year’s traffic-clogged season saw a record of 885 people summit Everest, 644 of them from Nepal and 241 from the northern edge in Tibet.
Some expedition operators have seen cancellations and climbers have been asked to submit a 14-day travel history and medical reports.
The Nepal side remains open for now but in Tibet, tourist areas have been shutdown since January, according to the local tourism office.
When contacted by by the AFP , China Tibet Mountaineering Association, which issues permits for Everest, declined to comment.
A Nepali team, specialised in fixing the climbing route, is currently on its way to the base camp to begin fixing ropes on Everest.
The premier peak attracts hundreds of mountaineers from all over the world each spring, when a window of good weather opens up between late April and the end of May, prompting a rush for the summit.
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