The Official Advice on Whether You Should Book a Holiday Amid Coronavirus

From Women's Health

Now that cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the UK and it's spreading throughout Europe, the UK Chief Medical Officers have raised the risk to the public from low to moderate. Austria and Croatia have reported their first cases, while several towns in the northern Italian region of Lombardy have been placed on lockdown after a spike in incidences - resulting in a reported 19 deaths.

Understandably, this has got the public concerned about everything from if they should be wearing a face mask, to seeking advice on whether they can travel internationally.

Here's what you need to know about going abroad amid the Coronavirus scare, according to travel and health experts.

Is it safe to travel amid Coronavirus?

While the spread of Coronavirus may feel worrying, the World Health Organisation (WHO) have not declared a pandemic. Nor have the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) imposed any travel bans from the UK beyond that of travel to Hubei Province, and against all but essential travel to the rest of mainland China, as well as parts of Italy. They advise:

Iran and South Korea have also been placed on red alert. Beyond these locations, the Foreign Office are not currently advising against going on any international trips, so you could go ahead as planned. It's worth keeping a close eye on the latest advice from the Foreign Office website, to see if anything changes.

What happens if you do want to travel amid Coronavirus?

The general advice is to be as vigilant with protection from germs as possible. Keep yourself clean, wash your hands, and hold your hand over your mouth if you cough. The NHS still maintains 'the risk to individuals remains low' and insist 'people can continue to go to work, school and other public places', which technically includes tourist attractions too.

'Coronavirus exhibits flu like symptoms and the average healthy person will recover after self-quarantine,' qualified health practitioner Jason Briggs at health brand ShoeHero insists. 'The elderly and those with underlying health conditions such as respiratory diseases are more at risk and should take higher precautions. Everybody should be washing their hands on a regular basis. If you sneeze, catch it and bin it and then wash your hands.'

Is it safer to travel in the UK?

At this stage, it's uncertain whether booking a holiday in the UK is safer than going abroad - especially as schools are starting to close in areas where Coronavirus cases have been suspected. There's no evidence to suggest visiting a destination closer to home is any safer than visiting somewhere further afield that isn't on the FCO's restricted travel list. So essentially, as far as official advice goes, providing you're vigilant with germs, you can travel anywhere other than quarantined areas.

Can you claim back cancelled holidays on insurance?

It depends. According to Which? The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has only issued travel advisories for China and Italy, meaning only people travelling there or through there will be eligible for refunds.

British Airways has said that passengers with bookings to some airports in the north of Italy - including Milan, Turin, Bologna, Venice, Bergamo and Verona - will now be able to rebook their flights for a later date, though will not be eligible for a refund.

Not wishing to travel to other destinations due to your own concerns is not covered by most travel insurance companies, meaning you're unlikely to be able to claim back these costs due to the coronavirus.

'Unfortunately, choosing not to go on holiday due to fear of contracting Coronavirus or any other illness, is not something that your travel insurance would provide cover for,' Stuart Lloyd, Travel Insurance Expert at Columbus Direct, comments. 'So, if you are due to travel to a country or region that the FCO has not advised against travelling to, but cancel the trip anyway, this will definitely not be covered.

'If you’re unsure, check your travel insurer’s website to see if they have added some FAQs about the cover provided. Alternatively, contact the travel insurance provider for more information. It is worth remembering that you should also reach out to your travel agent, tour operators, airlines, holiday accommodation providers etc. in the first instance, to see what costs you can recover. Many companies, especially where the holiday is sold under an ATOL Licence, will have a duty of care to the customer to return costs or to reschedule/reroute the trip.'

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