Airfares to mainland China soared in the past few weeks when the coronavirus crisis escalated from a regional outbreak into a global pandemic, as desperate travelers rushed for limited seats on the few carriers that were still flying to the country amid a widening circle of global quarantines and travel ban.

The average price of air tickets from Italy, Spain, Sweden, the United States, and Iran – several countries with the fastest rising cases – rose by about 150% on March 15, compared with the March 1 average, according to data from Trip.com Group, China’s largest online travel agency.

Anxious to ensure that the Chinese capital – with a population of 21 million residents, and 442 confirmed cases with eight deaths on March 15 – remains free of imported afflictions, the government directed all inbound flights to 12 cities including Tianjin, Shanghai and Nanjing.