Both Germany and the UK has announced a sharp rise in the number of coronavirus cases, while France just reported its fourth death.
The Covid-19 epidemic has now caused more than 3,000 deaths worldwide and there are now strict travel restrictions in place at airports in countries around the world.
Here’s a quick overview on the affected countries, and the restrictions put in place:
United Arab Emirates
The UAE has suspended all flights to Iran apart from Tehran. Travel to China is heavily restricted, except Beijing. Travel to Italy has been restricted, with the government recommending its citizens stay away from Northern parts of the country.
All arriving passengers must go through precautionary screening measures for Covid-19 before immigration. The government has also suspended traveling using only national identity cards (so all passengers will need to show their passports before travelling.
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom has temporarily banned all religious visits to the country, including holy sites of Mecca and Medina. The country has also banned entry of tourism via holders from all countries with confirmed cases of coronavirus.
Like the UAE, Saudi Arabia has stopped entry of travelers from the GCC using only national ID cards.
United States
The US has put travel restrictions on anyone who has visited Iran over the past 14 days.
Residents who have left the country and want to return home must complete health checks and obtain a pass on arrival at the airport. Additional questions have also been added to immigration forms that all travellers must complete upon landing.
Anyone with respiratory issue who has visited or traveled via China is now subject to a 14-day quarantine (note, this does not apply to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan).
US officials – including President Donald Trump – have urged US nationals to avoid travel to Italy and South Korea.
France
After Italy, France is now has the second largest outbreak of Covid-19 in Europe.
The French Foreign Ministry is now recommending that people postpone trips and holidays abroad, and all school trips in the country have been cancelled.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised staying away from the Wuhan region of China, Iran and Northern Italy.
Italy
Air links to and from China have been cancelled, and all tourists arriving in Italy are being subjected to health and temperature checks.
Travel to the towns of Codogno, Casalpusterlengo, Castiglione d’Adda, Maleo, Fombio, Bertonico, Castelgerundo, Somaglia, San Fiorano, Terranova dei Passerini and Vo Euganeo are heavily restricted.
China
Chinese authorities have restricted travelling to the Hubei province and its capital Wuhan, where the coronavirus began.
While other governments have strongly urged citizens to stay away from China except for urgent reasons, China has said visitors arriving in Beijing’s international airports who have not been in China in the previous 14 days will be allowed to pass through by authorities.
South Korea
Travel to Daegu City and North Gyeongsang Province is strong discouraged by the South Korean government, who has raised its alert level to the highest. Following the example of the Louvre in Paris, several museums have been closed.
Korean authorities are not letting in any non-Korean travellers who have been to China’s Hubei province in the past 14 days.
Australia
Australia will soon refuse entry to anyone who has visited or transited through China in the past 14 days. The government is recommending that citizens who have travelled to China in the past fortnight observe a period of isolation.
United Kingdom
Health checks are in place at London’s Heathrow Airport, and travel has been restricted to China. British citizens have been banned from landing on certain Pacific Islands.
Japan
There are additional health checks at airports, and there is a ban on non-Japanese travelers who have visited Hubei and Zhejiang provinces of China. The ban also applies to travelers who have visited Daegu and nearby Cheongdo in South Korea.
Germany
Travellers coming from coronavirus-infected areas must declare so, before going through additional health checks. New forms being distributed on flight sinto the country pose questions about passengers’ health status.
Last weekend, the number of cases in Germany almost doubled.
Other countries
Those who have been on holiday in Italy in the last 14 days are forbidden from landing in Jordan, Lebanon, Fiji, Mauritius, Mongolia and the Seychelles.
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