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Thursday, March 28, 2024

U.S. travel warning for China now as high as Iraq

Duration: 01:55s 0 shares 2 views

U.S. travel warning for China now as high as Iraq
U.S. travel warning for China now as high as Iraq

A new U.S. State Department travel advisory raised the warning for China to the same level as Iraq and Afghanistan as confirmed cases worldwide surpass SARS.

Michelle Hennessy reports.

The U.S. has raised its travel advisory for China to the same level as Iraq and Afghanistan.

The State Department is saying 'do not travel to China' due to the new coronavirus.

It came as Chinese authorities announced the death toll had jumped by more than 40 people in 24 hours.

They confirmed Friday (January 31) more than 200 people have now died inside China, with nearly 10,000 confirmed cases.

That means more people are confirmed to have been infected by this already, than the entire SARS epidemic between 2002 and 2003 - which killed nearly 800 people.

Fear over this previously unknown virus is setting in.

Especially for the people living along the borders of China's shut off cities.

Officials have placed around 60 million people under virtual lockdown.

That's around the population of Italy.

This woman says she's come out for a short walk after shutting herself inside for days.

I daren't go far - she says.

Up to now, this virus appears less deadly than previous global epidemics.

But the World Health Organization has now declared it an international emergency.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) WHO DIRECTOR GENERAL, TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, SAYING: "The greatest concern is deportation for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems." Foreign governments have continued to evacuate their citizens from the epicentre of the outbreak - and then holding them in quarantine.

International alarm has continued to rise.

As the virus spreads to a growing number of countries before experts can even determine just how and deadly and contagious it really is.

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