MIAMI – As a new coronavirus continues to spread rapidly, federal authorities are warning travelers to stay away from China.
The U.S. Department of State issued the advisory on Thursday night and asked travelers to be prepared for the possibility of sudden restrictions.
“This is due to the spread of the novel coronavirus throughout China and the [World Health Organization] determinations that the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote on Twitter.
The virus emerged in China’s city of Wuhan in December, and already China’s health commission reports there are 102,000 suspected cases under observation and 9,692 confirmed cases with at least 213 deaths.
China’s province of Hubei, where most of the deaths happened, remains in lockdown.
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the main reason for the declaration is not because of what is happening in China, but because of what is happening in other countries.
According to WHO, there are 98 cases in 18 other countries, but there haven’t been any deaths reported outside of China.
As of Thursday night, there were eight confirmed human-to-human infections of the virus -- also known as 2019-mCoV, in the U.S., Germany, Japan and Vietnam.
The five people who traveled to China and were diagnosed in the U.S. are in Illinois, California, Arizona and Washington state. Doctors believe a woman who traveled to Wuhan in December infected her husband in Chicago.
Despite the reports, Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said, “the immediate risk to the American public is low.”
The 200 U.S. citizens who were evacuated from Wuhan are not being allowed to leave a military base in California for 72 hours.
Travelers are already feeling the effects of public health measures. On Monday, the CDC set up a quarantine station at Miami International Airport.
Italy suspended all China flights, and North Korea, Mongolia and Russia banned crossings to and from China.
A coronavirus scare trapped more than 6,500 passengers inside a Carnival Cruise ship in a port in Italy. The ship won’t be able to continue its voyage until Friday night.
The concerns have also affected procedures in schools. During a coronavirus scare in Palm Beach County this week, officials asked 30 students and three teachers of the Benjamin School in Palm Beach Gardens to stay home for about three days until the CDC confirmed they did not have the new Wuhan virus.
The Florida Health Department is working with the CDC and local public health authorities to investigate, confirm, contain and report any suspected cases.