The Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) is urging travellers to reconsider all non-essential travel to China as a result of the novel Coronavirus outbreak.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has issued a Level 3 Warning to avoid non-essential travel to China in its entirety – an escalation from previous warnings, which advised against travel to the city of Wuhan and the Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak. Meanwhile, the US has issued an advisory to reconsider travel to China.
The virus has been confirmed in 21 countries to date: China, France, Japan, Australia, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the US and Vietnam.
Various tourist attractions in China, such as parts of the Great Wall of China, Beijing’s Forbidden City palace complex and Shanghai Disneyland, among others, have been closed to visitors. Several countries have stopped flights into the country.
“Travel experts from The Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG), including Flight Centre Business Travel, Corporate Traveller and FCM, are contacting all their customers due to travel to China over the coming weeks,” says Kim Taylor, customer experience director at the Flight Centre Travel Group. “We recommend that customers reconsider their travel plans and make use of the relevant airline’s re-accommodation policies.
“Some airlines are allowing clients to refund or make changes to their travel at no additional cost, such as Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Etihad Airways, Air Canada, Emirates and British Airways,” Taylor adds.
The Flight Centre Travel Group will continue to monitor and update as communication is received from airlines.
For travellers already in affected areas, FCTG advises them to:
* Avoid all travel to Hubei province, as it is under lockdown by Chinese authorities.
* Practice advanced hygiene measures, including frequent hand washing and sanitising.
* Wear a face mask or respirator in public if travelling in Chinese cities with reported infections.
Strict health screening is being performed at various airports worldwide. All travellers should allow for sufficient travelling time in case of any delays at the airport.