WASHINGTON, March 21 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Saturday briefly suspended all flights to the New York City area and the Philadelphia region, citing the reason that one of its employees tested positive for the coronavirus.
The FAA said in an online alert that air traffic controllers are advised to "stop all departures" to Kennedy, LaGuardia, Newark and other airports in the New York City area. The ground stop also applied to Philadelphia International Airport.
"A Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controller trainee at New York Air Route Traffic Control Center in Ronkonkoma, N.Y., tested positive for COVID-19 today," USA Today cited an FAA release as saying.
Now lifted, the suspension lasted about 30 minutes.
The FAA employee who tested positive has not been at the facility since Tuesday, USA Today reported, adding that the agency has been working with local health authorities on a plan to disinfect the affected areas. Enditem
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