BEIJING, March 22 (Reuters) - China’s aviation regulator said on Sunday that all international flights due to arrive in Beijing would be diverted to other airports as their first port of entry beginning on Monday, as the country steps up measures to battle the coronavirus.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said incoming international flights to Beijing would land at one of 12 other designated airports, where passengers would be screened. Passengers who were cleared would then be permitted to reboard the plane, which would take them on to Beijing, it said. (Reporting by Stella Qiu and Tony Munroe; Editing by Christopher Cushing)