CITIES in China and tourist sites across the country such as Disneyland and the Great Wall have closed down following the outbreak of coronavarius which has already killed 26 people.
As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) raises the travel warning to level 3, governments across the world are updating their travel advice amid fears of a global crisis.
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What tourist attractions are closed?
Popular tourist attractions are closing their doors as the virus can easily be spread through large crowds.
The Forbidden City in Beijing and Disneyland in Shanghai have closed to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Despite being one of its busiest weeks, Disneyland will remain closed from tomorrow (January 25) until further notice.
They added on social media that they were “monitoring the situation” and would reveal when they could re-open in due course.
Guests will be able to get refunds for their park tickets and hotels if they had booked to visit.
Parts of the Great Wall of China are closing too, including the most popular Badaling section.
More than 70,000 cinemas have closed across the country along with the planned Lunar New Year celebrations in Beijing.
Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park in Pudong and amusement park Shanghai Happy Valley remain open but will allow guests refunds if they no longer want to visit.
How are flights and travel affected?
Passengers travelling to China by air will be heavily impacted, especially if they’re due to fly to Wuhan or one of the other cities on lockdown.
The locked down cities have had all trains and public transport in and out stopped.
All flights to the city have been cancelled, with Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific and Taiwan’s China Airlines axing all flights until the end of February.
Airlines are also handing out disinfectants and face masks for passengers, with low-cost carrier Scoot adding that the aircraft itself would be disinfected.
Some airlines are allowing passengers to change their flights for free or giving full refunds for their Wuhan-bound flights up until March 2020, according to the Independent.
Hotels including Holiday Inn and InterContinental are also allowing guests to cancel their rooms in China until the end of the month without paying cancellation fees.
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Latest travel advice from governments
There have been confirmed cases of the virus in countries including US, Thailand, Japan and South Korea, leading to increased health checks at airports across the world.
The World Health Organization has not issued travel restrictions anywhere in the world, claiming it is “too early” to declare it a global crisis.
The UK government has warned: “The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all but essential travel to Wuhan city, Hubei Province.
“This is due to the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak.
“On 23 January the Wuhan authorities closed all transport hubs including airports, railway and bus stations. Travel restrictions may be in place in other nearby cities.”
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Public Health England has also issued a health advisory about what it can mean for travellers.
The update states: “Based on the latest information and analysis, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that there is evidence of limited human to human transmission of the virus.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an Level 3 warning for Wuhan while the rest of the country remains on Level 1.
The advice recommends avoiding “all nonessential travel” and to take “enhanced precautions” such as avoid contacting with those who have the virus, as well as animals and animal markets if travelling to Wuhan.
They also advise washing hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, and seeking medical help if displaying symptoms of a fever or cough.
Passengers returning to the US from Wuhan may also have additional health screenings at the airport as well as have to fill out additional documents.
What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
Coronavirus is a new strain belonging to a large family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
The common early signs of infection include fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties, according to the WHO.
In more severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
This tends to be more common in people with weaker immune systems such as babies or the elderly.
It isn’t clear where the virus originated from, but it is easily spread between humans.
Airports around the world have increased health screenings for passengers to prevent the spread of the virus.
In the US, airports in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles with flights to Wuhan are undergoing screenings, along with Rome Airport and airports in New South Wales in Australia.
Bangladesh, Russia, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea are also introducing extra measures at airports.
There are currently three flights from the UK to Wuhan City.
London Heathrow passengers who arrive from Wuhan will be taken through to a separate arrival, according to Sky News.
The NHS is in the UK is currently on “high alert” for signs of the virus.
There are fears of coronavirus quickly spreading as more than three billion people are expected to travel due to Chinese New Year.
There is currently no vaccines for the virus.
