China has extended the national holiday for the Lunar New Year and placed more cities on lockdown as the death toll from the coronavirus rises to 106.
UK travellers have been warned not to travel to Hubei Province, where the virus is believed to have originated, while the government is working to help British nationals leave if they are already in the area.
The city of Wuhan, where the outbreak started, is still in lockdown, with all airports, railway and bus stations closed. Travel restrictions are in place across Hubei Province and other cities have entered lockdown in an attempt to limit the spread of the virus.
Hong Kong has announced plans to restrict cross-border travel to and from China, with high-speed trains and ferries suspended starting Thursday.
Many businesses in China will remain closed until at least Sunday due to the extension of the national holiday. Others have advised staff to work from home to avoid the risk of infection. In Shanghai, the government has told businesses to keep employees away until 10 February.
According to travel risk specialist Riskline, these lockdowns “have had a huge impact on air, rail and road travel”, while hospitals in China “have shown to be under an unbearable strain level, particularly in Hubei Province, where long queues, overcrowding and tension were reported”.
The novel coronavirus causes severe acute respiratory illness. There are now more than 4,500 confirmed cases in China and 16 other nations, including infections in the US, Thailand, Australia and France, among other locations. The majority of deaths from the virus have been elderly people or those with pre-existing respiratory conditions.
Health officials have said stopping the virus from spreading will prove difficult after finding evidence it is contagious in its incubation period, before those infected begin to show symptoms.
Riskline has said that if travel to China is absolutely necessary, travellers should follow directives from consular and health authorities. They should also “request that your employer provides you with appropriate travel risk intelligence in real-time to keep you safe during your travel”. If they find themselves in an area that enters lockdown, they should be prepared to leave “immediately”.
To minimise the risk of catching the virus, travellers should practice hygiene measures “including frequent hand-washing”, particularly if they come into contact with infected people. If they show signs of infection, such as fever, diarrhea, shortness of breath and a cough, they should immediately seek medical attention.