China's civil aviation regulator ordered on Tuesday a five-week suspension of an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa to Shanghai in an effort to prevent imported COVID-19 cases.

A total of five passengers on the Oct 6 flight from Ethiopia's capital to Shanghai, as well as 10 passengers on its Oct 13 flight, tested positive for the novel coronavirus, meeting the conditions for a "circuit breaker" suspension of the flight route, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

In keeping with an international flights adjustment policy announced on June 4, the administration issued its "circuit breaker" directive and announced the five-week suspension would begin on Monday.

In early June, China eased restrictions on international passenger flights contingent on epidemic risks being under control. Authorities highlighted the "reward and circuit breaker mechanism" for the carriers to increase or have flights suspended in accordance with the companies' epidemic control work.

Under the policy, airlines must suspend flights on a route for a week if five passengers test positive for coronavirus. If the number exceeds 10, the airline must suspend the flights for four weeks.