Virgin Atlantic has extended the suspension of its services to Shanghai until the end of March.

The news comes as the China continues to battle an outbreak of a new coronavirus.

The virus is now believed to have killed 565 people and infected 28,018.

All but one of the deaths have been in China, with the Philippines also suffering one fatality.

Announcing the news, a Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said: “The health and safety of our customers and staff remains our absolute priority.

“We continue to monitor the Coronavirus situation very carefully, including the latest guidance from the World Health Organisation and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, which on Tuesday issued new guidance to UK citizens to leave China if they are able to do so.

“Given this new FCO advice, the increasing entry restrictions on recent visitors to mainland China, and our rigorous focus on safety, Virgin Atlantic has opted to extend the suspension of Heathrow-Shanghai operations until March 28th.”

Passengers booked to travel should contact Virgin Atlantic to discuss travel plans, the airline added.

There will be an option to receive a refund.

Passengers can contact the customer care team via an SMS messaging system on +44 (0) 7481 339184.