The rapid spread of COVID-19 around the world has thrown the international travel industry into chaos. A growing number of travelers are opting to stay at home in fear of exposure to the novel coronavirus, which has spread to 79 countries since the end of December, claiming more than 3,000 lives and infecting more than 100,000 people worldwide.
Should you cancel or postpone your travel plans"
OMS recommends that elderly travelers and those with underlying health conditions delay or avoid traveling to areas that are experiencing ongoing transmission of COVID-19. This is because the disease, although mild in about 80% of cases, can be fatal for people over the age of 65 or with chronic illnesses. The list of countries experiencing local transmissions is updated daily by the WHO. In Asia, it currently includes China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia. The European countries on the list are Italy, France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Greece and Romania. Three Middle Eastern countries are listed: Iran, United Arab Emirates and Lebanon. In the Americas, the United States, Canada and Ecuador have reported transmission of COVID-19 infections. Only one African country is on the list: Algeria. Australia in the Oceania region is also on the list. For example, the UK Foreign Office is advising against all but essential travel to mainland China, two cities in South...