US health officials: Avoid nonessential travel to China

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - U.S. health officials issued a travel warning Tuesday against China for an outbreak for the deadly coronavirus.

"On January 27, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued updated travel guidance for China, recommending that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to all of the country (Level 3 Travel Health Notice)," the CDC said in a statement.

It said the warning is in response to an ongoing outbreak of the novel coronavirus spreading between people in many parts of China, adding the Chinese health officials have reported thousands of coronavirus cases, as well as severe illness including deaths.

The CDC said that although several travel-associated cases of the coronavirus have been identified in other countries, including the U.S., no community spread with this virus has been reported outside China.

"In the United States, there have been 5 cases of 2019-nCoV detected in travelers returning from Wuhan," the CDC said. It said based on current information, the immediate health risk from the virus to the general American public is "considered low" for now.

"No person-to-person spread has been detected in the United States at this time and this virus is NOT spreading in the community," it added.

On Thursday, the State Department State issued a similar travel warning, urging Americans to "avoid nonessential travel" with a level 3 alert.

The respiratory illness, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December, has since spread to 30 provinces in the country.

China has so far recorded 106 deaths from the mystery virus with pneumonia-like symptoms. More than 4,500 people are infected.

Tens of cases have been reported in Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Thailand, the U.S., Singapore, France, Malaysia, Australia, and Vietnam.

Chinese authorities on Sunday announced plans to extend the Lunar New Year holiday, which was originally set to end Jan. 30, in a bid to reduce mass gatherings and to prevent further spread of the disease.

Travelers from China are being screened for the virus at airports worldwide, and many airlines have suspended flights to Wuhan.