Direct flights from China to Hawaii have been suspended as federal and state officials ramp up their response to preventing an outbreak of the coronavirus in the isles.

China Eastern Airlines, the only airline providing direct flights between China and Hawaii, informed state officials Sunday that it was going to suspend flights to Hawaii starting today in response to the deadly virus, said Lt. Gov. Josh Green.

“It’s a good thing that China Eastern has suspended their flights, but we still need to be vigilant about any passengers that are redirected through other countries to our state,” he said.

As of Sunday the virus had inflected more than 17,300 worldwide and caused 362 deaths, most of those in Hubei province where the virus was first detected in December.

On Sunday afternoon U.S. officials stepped up their response by requiring that returning U.S. citizens who were in Hubei province within 14 days of their return undergo up to 14 days of mandatory quarantine.

Returning U.S. citizens who have been in other areas of China within the last 14 days will undergo a “proactive entry health screening” and up to 14 days of “self-quarantine,” according to the travel restrictions.

Most non-U.S. citizens who have traveled in China within the last 14 days will be denied entry into the United States, except for immediate family members of U.S. citizens, permanent residents and flight crew.

Green said it was a relief that China Eastern decided to suspend its flight to Honolulu, which would have arrived at about 8 a.m. today, because officials were still discussing where to quarantine people under the more stringent measures. China Eastern’s last flight to the islands arrived Sunday morning in Honolulu, but the expanded quarantine measures still had not taken effect.

The Department of Transportation said last week that it was following the direction of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for additional screening measures.

China Eastern provides only one direct flight from Shanghai to Honolulu, six days a week. The airline had planned to reduce the flights to two days a week in March.

American, Delta and United airlines already suspended service from China, and others were anticipated to follow suit.

Federal officials now require that any U.S. citizens that traveled through China in the past 14 days be rerouted through one of 11 airports around the nation. Daniel K. Inouye International Airport is one of those airports.

Green said he didn’t expect any emergency flights from China to land in Honolulu because there are fewer travelers leaving China. The U.S. restriction on foreign nationals who have been in China and protective measures by other countries were reducing the number of flights out of China.

Despite the decreasing volume of travelers from China, officials were still doubling their focus on preventing the spread of the virus, he said.

“Very few Americans are returning from Wuhan, but the virus is dynamic and we have to be very careful,” Green said, adding that state officials expect to have a military quarantine site on Oahu and are “applying some pressure to the federal government to rethink their choice of Honolulu” as one of the country’s access points.

“It makes more sense to have it be in larger states that have larger military installations that can quarantine people,” Green added. “We are hopeful that very few individuals that need to be quarantined come to Hawaii. We don’t appreciate the federal quarantine mandate, but we will do what’s necessary to keep all Hawaii citizens safe.”

There are 3,000 U.S. citizens potentially returning from China, but most live on the mainland, Green said.

On Sunday, Green spoke with the CDC, the Homeland Security Department and the White House about preparations in Honolulu.

He said he let the White House know state officials were still awaiting approval for the use of a military base for quarantine measures, and was assured the issue was being addressed.

The CDC and Homeland Security said they would provide a surge in personnel for monitoring in Honolulu and at the other 10 airports that are access points, Green said.

He added that travelers who have been in China or have been in contact with someone who may have been sick will have to pass through three additional layers of security at the airport in Honolulu: first the Customs and Border Patrol, then the Department of Homeland Security and the Coast Guard, and finally the CDC and the state Department of Health.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.