ALERT: Mount Everest closed due to coronavirus

Climbers hoping to summit Mount Everest this spring will have to suspend their expeditions, thanks to the coronavirus.

Nepal and China have closed both sides of Mount Everest to climbers as of Friday. Nepal is also closing its more than 400 peaks to spring expeditions.

“Climbing this season has been closed,” Nepal's Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai told Reuters.

Nepal earns about $4.4 million a year in permit fees from climbers, according to Reuters. The local economy, including agencies and guides, will also suffer economically from the closures.

Nepal will deny climbing permits starting March 14 through April 30, according to the BBC.

Nepal will require foreigners who enter Nepal starting March 14 to undergo a 14-day quarantine, BBC reported.

Nepal has only one confirmed case of the coronavirus so far.

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