The U.S. State Department has advised Americans to avoid non-essential travel to Italy and South Korea, a move that will severely hurt tourism especially in Italy and likely lead to further reductions in airline service.
Raising the travel advisories to Italy and South Korea to Level 3, the U.S. is advising citizens to avoid all non-essential travel. This is one step short of banning travel. Countries are rated on a 1-4 scale, with the following level definitions:
- Level 1 – Exercise normal precautions
- Level 2 – Exercise increased caution
- Level 3 – Reconsider travel
- Level 4 – Do not travel
U.S. Advises Against Italy Travel
Here’s the latest on travel to Italy from the State Department:
Reconsider travel to Italy due to a recent outbreak of COVID-19.
There is an ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 caused by a novel (new) coronavirus in Italy. Many cases of COVID-19 have been associated with travel to or from mainland China or close contact with a travel-related case, but sustained community spread has been reported in Italy. Sustained community spread means that people have been infected with the virus, but how or where they became infected is not known, and the spread is ongoing. The CDC has issued a Level 3 Warning for Italy. At this time, CDC recommends avoiding non-essential travel to Italy.
Bernabo Bocca, President of Federalberghi, an Italian hotel federation, told the Associated Press, “We had already registered a slowdown of Americans coming to Italy in recent days. Now the final blow has arrived.”
U.S. Advises Against South Korea Travel
Here’s the latest on travel to South Korea from the State Department:
Reconsider travel to South Korea due to an outbreak of COVID-19…
A novel coronavirus is causing an outbreak of COVID-19in South Korea. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization determined the COVID-19 outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The South Korean government has reported cases of the COVID-19 in the country and has upgraded its response level to “grave”, its highest response level….
If suspected to have COVID-19 (coronavirus) in South Korea, you may face travel delays, quarantine, and extremely expensive medical costs.
Much of South Korea has already essentially shut down with its recent outbreak of coronavirus.
CONCLUSION
With these travel advisories in effect, I expect U.S. airlines will shortly cancel or at least dramatically scale back all service to South Korea and Italy.
> Read More: United Airlines Reduces Service Across Asian Network
In the train-wreck of a press conference just now, Pence said that they raised “certain areas of Italy to the highest level, Level 4”
I hope pence is doing a lot of praying. Praying helps. A lot more than science.
I like kim jong un. He is going to execute his politburo if they don’t get the virus under control. If we had the same here i wonder how long some people would continue with the sham of praying.
They should really have someone competent giving these types of speeches.He does not inspire confidence.
It’s amazing how politics seem to make their way in. This type of hatred can do more harm with the virus outbreak. This stuff is serious and all we can do is criticize our politicians on BOTH sides, of course we are not so different look at Great Britain and others where the country is split as ours is.
Hey this is serious stuff and we need to play attention rather than business as usual on politics.
My question now is going to be at what point do people like myself that have late spring travel plans begin to consider cancelling? We are to return to Italy the first week of May, Florence and Venice.
Matt, your thoughts
My personal take: unless it’s something really important, you should probably seriously consider once airlines start issuing waivers/cancellations that include your scheduled travel dates. The risk as I see it isn’t getting sick, but getting stuck in an extended quarantine situation, either overseas or when you return home.
Matthew, I think it’s time to ask that you PLEASE consider restricting/removing irrelevant political commentary. Your comments sections are become a dumpster fire, as several of the responses to this post show.
It’s ironic, mass panic, market down, state of Washington in national emergency over a death, how many people died of the flu, heart disease, and car crashes last year, to name a few. People are panicky beings.
You are right. Just don’t take any precautions. Just go visit wuhan for fun. Let’s go paper tiger.
If china quarantined half its population do you think they are a bunch of idiots? Do they quarantine for flu every year?
And DL put all the eggs in two baskets called MU and KE. They won’t sell you CI flights…
Add Seattle to the list of places you shouldn’t go.
Ah, but here’s the rub (at least for one of us): while the CDC has raised ALL of Italy to Level 3, United is currently only issuing waivers for travel to northern Italy. This leaves travelers to, say, Rome (such as yours truly) in the lurch, as my company will not allow me to travel to a country under a CDC level 3 warning.
I’ll wait another week or so before cancelling. Either United will extend the waiver … or (highly unlikely) something will change that actually allows me to make my work trip. I mean, the office will cover any change fees if it comes to it, but I just don’t feel like that should have to happen (or that I should not get to go).
It seems to me that at some point we just have to realize that quarantine efforts have failed.