Coronavirus: China suspends foreign expeditions on its side of Mt Everest

China suspended foreign expeditions on the north side of Mount Everest in Tibet during the spring climbing season of 2020 due to the coronavirus that has spread to more than 100 countries and region. The Tibet Mountaineering Association (TMA) announced on Thursday that while China has made great progress in containing the coronavirus disease, its rapid global spread still brings uncertainty and danger.

If a climber were infected, the high altitude and rough terrain on Mt Everest knowns as Mt Qomolangma in Tibetan languages would make it difficult to provide appropriate treatment. "To ensure the safety of the climbers and to protect expedition organisers from potential losses, we have to make this decision," Pema Tinley, deputy director of the TMA, was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency.

Climbers, guides and other staff from over 20 countries and regions had filed applications to the TMA before the outbreak of COVID-19. TMA officials say they had asked for advice from all expedition organizers before making their decision.