Coronavirus: What Travellers need to know
The spread of coronavirus is making travellers around the world worried. Health officials are urging everyone to take extra precautions and take extra measures in order to avoid influenza. Some flights have been suspended The majority of flights to China have been suspended. If you have upcoming travel plans you are advised to check with the airlines and look for advisories posted on carriers' websites. If you're planning to travel abroad and are concerned about coronavirus, check the country by country travel advice on GOV.UK. Should I cancel or postpone my travel plans? It has been recommended that elderly travellers and those with underlying health conditions, should delay or avoid traveling to areas that are experiencing ongoing transmission of COVID-19. The disease can be fatal for people who are above 65 years or who have chronic illnesses. That list of countries experiencing local transmissions is updated daily by the World Health Organization. For more information visit the website to view the latest situation reports. In Asia, it currently includes China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia. European countries on the list are Italy, France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Greece and Romania. Three countries in the Middle East are listed - Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon. What else should I have in mind? If you decide to travel, even if its destinations without major cases, you should consider the quality of healthcare available in the region you are going to if you become ill. You may be caught up in quarantine if an outbreak occurs. Your flight plans may get disrupted because other passengers are opting not to travel. Even in areas without major outbreaks, large numbers of cancellations and no-shows by customers have led airlines to ground flights and disrupting tens of thousands of passengers. If you wish to cancel an existing flight or hotel booking, then you will have to bear the cost. How can I protect myself if I'm traveling? Wash your hands frequently, cover your nose and mouth [...]