The U.S. government has raised its warning to the highest level and warned against all travel to China due to the fears caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
The State Department’s “do not travel” advice, announced for extremely severe cases, was issued soon after the WHO (World Health Organization) declared the outbreak a global emergency.
Those in China were asked to “consider departing using commercials means.”
The new coronavirus has wiped out at least 213 people in China, with more than 10,000 infected.
The WHO reports 98 confirmed cases in 18 other countries. No deaths have yet been reported outside of China. Most of the international cases are identified in people who have been to Wuhan, the epicentre of the new coronavirus outbreak.
In its updated advisory, the State Department of the U.S. requested that all U.S. government personnel defer nonessential travel to China.
A health official in Chicago reported Thursday the first case of person-to-person virus transmission in the United States. The transmission marked the second report of the virus in Illinois and the sixth confirmed case in the U.S.
The newly infected person is a 60-year-old male who reportedly contracted the virus from his spouse, a woman in Chicago who brought the infection back from Wuhan, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Officials described the patient as having “some underlying medical conditions” but as being in decent condition. His wife, who had been taking care of her father in Wuhan earlier this month, was also stable but kept in isolation at a local hospital.
For now, CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield has asked people to stay calm as officials continue monitoring patients across the U.S. for possible infections.
“Our assessment remains that the immediate threat to the American public is low,” Redfield said.
The Union for American Airlines pilots said it was suing the airline to halt flights between the U.S. and China. In a statement, the union announced that it had guided members to turn down requests to fly to China.
Speaking in Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that a global emergency was declared because of fears that the virus could reach countries with weaker health systems.
Tedros admired the “extraordinary measures” taken by the Chinese authorities. He said there was no intention to limit trade or travel to China. “Let me be clear, this declaration (of global health emergency) isn’t a vote of no confidence in China,” Tedros said.
Several other countries have also announced quarantine and evacuation plans for their nationals who want to come home from China. Russia has closed its 4300km far-eastern border with China amid concerns about the virus spread.
Air flights to China have been suspended, and companies such as Google, Starbucks, McDonald’s, Ikea, and General Motors have closed their stores or delayed operations.