Understanding how Coronavirus will affect your travels

Understanding how Coronavirus will affect your travels

By Ever Thought of Trying

A lot has been said about Coronavirus over the past few weeks and how it will affect your travel plans in Europe.  We’re going to pull together a few different FAQ’s from around the web to help you make an informed decision on whether to travel or not in the near future.

As it stands, our travel experiences are still going ahead as planned until we are advised otherwise by the government and health organisations.

What flights will be cancelled due to Coronavirus?

The spread of Coronavirus has put people off travelling which has prompted a number of cancellations by airlines – meaning even if some wanted to travel, they wouldn’t be able to.

You can see which airlines have reduced their routes here.

Are there any restrictions for travel in countries with Coronavirus?

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) website is updated regularly listing countries and regions with travel restrictions.

Are hand sanitisers the best way to combat transmitting the virus?

Health experts have warned that using too much hand sanitiser may perversely increase the risk of infection – but that’s not to say you shouldn’t always travel with one!

Using these alcohol-based hand sanitisers excessively could remove ‘normal bacterial flora’ on our skin warding off pathogens, according to the Tokyo-based chemical products company Kao Corporation.

It is necessary to wash hands and use hand sanitisers to reduce the risk of transmission, but like everything in life, it is possible to overdo it.

Have airlines and airports been shut down due to the outbreak?

Airport-technology.com reports on aviation news around the world and has up-to-date info on airlines affected by the outbreak and what measures airports are taking to stop the spread.

Does this impact my travel insurance?

This depends on your national government’s current advice and it’s good to check their advice wherever you travel.  According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI) anyone travelling to a country or region against government advice risks invalidating their travel insurance”.

If you want to cancel a trip to areas to which the government hasn’t advised against all-but-essential travel, you run the risk of not getting a refund.

To get an overview of the outbreak, the BBC has a good visual guide to the outbreak with keymaps and stats.