US raises travel advisory level for South Korea

A statement by US department of state as citizens to Exercise Increased Caution due to an outbreak of COVID-19

The United States has raised the travel advisory level for South Korea to "Level 2: Exercise increased caution" as the number of coronavirus cases in the Asia Pacific nation surged to 433.

According to a statement on the US State Department's website, travellers to South Korea should avoid contact with sick people and clean their hands often with soap and water.

Older adults and people with chronic medical conditions should discuss travel with their healthcare provider and consider postponing non-essential travel, the statement said.

Travelers should review and follow the Centers for Disease Control’s guidelines for the prevention of coronavirus if they decide to travel to South Korea.

 If suspected to have Coronavirus in South Korea, you may face travel delays, quarantine, and extremely expensive medical costs.

If you travel to South Korea, you should:

Avoid contact with sick people.
Discuss travel to South Korea with your healthcare provider. Older adults and travelers with underlying health issues may be at risk for more severe disease.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands
Clean your hands often by washing them with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at 60%–95% alcohol. Soap and water should be used if hands are visibly dirty.

Meanwhile in the Middle East, Iran's health ministry reported a sixth death on Saturday, a day after Israel and Lebanon confirmed their first cases.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the window of opportunity to stem the deadly epidemic was "narrowing" amid concern about a surge in cases with no clear link to China.