Due to increase of coronavirus should I cancel my travel plans?

The sudden outbreak of coronavirus around the globe has left many travelers in a dilemma that whether they should go ahead with their pre-planning or cancel out their plans. In this case, if you ask me then it's big “NO”. It’s not like that we should cancel our travel plans because most of the destinations which might you have planned are left untouched with the outbreak of coronavirus. If you are among one of the travelers that are postponing your travel plans with so many thoughts and ambiguity regarding the thoughts of traveling then I am giving you some prerequisite which you should consider first hand, then take wise decisions whether to go or cancel your travel plans. Safety while traveling is the prime concern for many travelers. So, give an eye to the below consideration before coming to any conclusions. 

First, everyone should have a clear briefing of what is a coronavirus. Coronavirus is primarily a respiratory illness that is communicable in nature. According to the sources, 80% of the cases can be recovered without any special medical facilities.  The first case was detected in Wuhan, China and this virus spread to 53 countries. The together number of reported cases is 84,000, in which 78,000 is detected in China. 

The older people, with pre-health conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes is more prone to develop coronavirus. 

The cases of Coronavirus have spread to 6 continents. The highest at risk of Coronavirus is among Chinese and those who have traveled there. The close contact and the care workers are also at risk who comes in contact with the infected ones. 

To avoid the infection and to prevent it in a correct manner, U.S Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of State both are issuing regular travel advisories for the specific destinations which are affected by the Coronavirus. 

At this point in time one who has planned to travel to China, South Korea should be discouraged. The precautionary measures should be followed by travelers traveling to destinations such as Italy, Japan, Iran, and Hongkong. 

The informed decisions should be taken by the travelers, in absence of specific travel advisories and one should consider beforehand the importance of the trip and of course the personal risk tolerance of any travelers regarding the health dangers and the effective prevention which they can make at earliest possible. 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there have been over 3200 coronavirus-related deaths as of March 4, and Johns Hopkins University reports over 51,000 recoveries worldwide.

But another important thought that should be considered for travelers, Coronavirus is unpredictable, one should know that each place comes with certain factors of risk. 

The traveler’s household responsibilities are another frame that needs to be mentioned here. Those who are caring for the elderly and young kids might have a lower tolerance for the unexpected delays in coming back to their own place. 

Some people do have panic personality, they often worry more than others. So in that case postponing your trip is better to have good mental health. As when you travel with such personality then they totally anticipate the situation and of course drain out the pleasure of leisure trip. 

In some of the cases, the sources added that the US carriers Jet Blue and Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, has agreed to waive the fee for returning the loyalty miles. 

If you are traveling the try to buy travel insurance, which has a component of Cancel for Any Reason insurance policies. This will be best suited to avoid the sunk traveling costs. The coverage tends to be about 30% more expensive than other types of travel insurance. Some offer 80% of the cashback. 

While you are in flight then you may use hand sanitizers and try to wash hands frequently and refrain from traveling if you are ill. 

But the prime mentioning would be that risk calculation to each traveler would be different. 

Health officials have not issued any broad recommendations to the general public about limiting travel that would trigger a wave of vacation cancellations, at least for the moment.

It is always a wise decision for any traveler to check the health information on the websites of the destination where you wish to go. The CDC continuously updates their sites with health-related travel recommendation. 

The CDC has recommended travelers reconsider cruise voyages to or from Asian countries. The travelers who are planning a trip with Norwegian Cruise Lines then don’t worry, the company is canceling all cruises to Asia through the summer season. For others, the Cruise Lines International Association which accounts for 90% of all ocean-based boats and it has enhanced screening measures for passengers and canceled or rerouted Asia-based excursions.

The New York Times has an interactive map tracking the global spread of the outbreak. WHO is a treasure trove of information that offers regular updates on the status of COVID-19 cases around the world and Q&A for people concerned to travel during the outbreak?  The question of whether to cancel the travel plans in light of the spread of coronavirus is almost a personal decision, the travelers must take after weighing all the factors. 

Also read:- Photos that show how the coronavirus has left Asia's biggest tourist attractions