Govt Issues Advisory to Travelers Visiting China as Coronavirus Spreads, Raises Anxiety Overseas

The Ministry of Health has issued an advisory to passengers travelling to China as anxiety grew both at home and abroad after Beijing confirmed the spiraling outbreak of coronavirus has claimed at least 41 lives and sickened hundreds.

China has shut down Wuhan and other cities in the Hubei province, which is the center of the outbreak of the newly identified coronavirus, putting around 35 million of its citizens under quarantine.

The government in its advisory has listed the initial symptoms of the disease that include fever, cough, and tightness of the chest and shortness of breath, and has asked visitors to avoid all non-essential travel to China for the time being.

While the mode of transmission of the disease is unclear at the moment, the Chinese government expert team confirmed Monday the human-to-human transmission of the disease, setting off fears of an impending global health emergency.

The government has advised travelers to monitor their health closely and has listed of precautionary practices and habits to be adopted in order to avoid contracting the virus. The advisory has also provided emergency measures that can be taken if one feels sick before, during or after the journey to China.

More than 1,200 cases of a new viral respiratory illness have been confirmed in China and elsewhere since an outbreak began last month in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

A scattered number of cases have been confirmed in other countries, but their are fears that during the travel and festivities accompanying Lunar New Year starting this weekend the virus could spread more widely.

The Indian embassy in China on Friday cancelled the Republic Day ceremony in view of the coronavirus outbreak.

"In view of the evolving situation due to the coronavirus outbreak in China as well as the decision of the Chinese authorities to cancel public gathering and events,@EOIBeijing has also decided to call off the Republic Day reception scheduled to be held @EOIBeijing on January 26th," the embassy said on Twitter.

China has ordered nationwide measures to identify suspected cases of a deadly virus on trains, aeroplanes and buses, as the death toll and number of patients has skyrocketed.

Inspection stations will be set up and passengers with suspected pneumonia must be "immediately transported" to a medical centre, the National Health Commission said in a statement.

Some 56 million people are now affected by transport bans around the epicentre of China's virus outbreak as five more cities announced travel restrictions on Saturday to contain the disease.

The rules include closing public transport links and access to highways in the cities, local authorities said. A total of 18 cities now have some sort of travel restrictions in central Hubei province.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some of which cause the common cold. Others have evolved into more severe illnesses, such as SARS and MERS, although so far the new virus does not appear to be nearly as deadly or contagious.