Jakarta. More than 300 Chinese tourists have applied for visa extension in Bali fearing the coronavirus outbreak in their home country, a government official said on Thursday.

The Indonesian government has suspended all commercial flights from and to China since Feb. 5 as the outbreak, which has so far killed 1,370 people, most of them in mainland China, continues to spread.

Sutrisno, the head of Bali's provincial justice and human rights office, said the Chinese citizens will be granted the maximum 30-day extension on their visas.

"As of today, more than 300 tourists have applied for the visa extension. At Ngurah Rai Airport alone, there were 90 applicants," Sutrisno said in Denpasar.

Thousands of Chinese tourists continued to stay on the resort island either because there is no flight to take them home or out of their own will.

According to the Chinese consulate in Bali, their number is estimated at around 5,000.

Sutrisno said immigration services for visa extension are available until Feb. 29.

On Saturday, 61 Chinese citizens returned to their country aboard a China Eastern Airlines plane chartered by the Chinese government.