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Businesses try to defend against coronavirus

More companies are temporarily halting business in parts of China, as the outbreak spreads and the fear of contagion rises.

Here’s the latest:

• British Airways suspended flights to and from mainland China. Cathay Pacific and United Airlines have reduced the number of flights.

• Starbucks closed more than half of its stores in the country, its second-biggest market.

• The owner of Uniqlo has closed about 100 stores in the affected Hubei Province.

Apple said the outbreak could affect its financial forecasts. Tim Cook, its C.E.O., told analysts yesterday that suppliers could be disrupted and that traffic to its stores in China had dropped.