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Coronavirus travel news: Countries move to close borders as pandemic spreads

Qin Xie
Friday 13 March 2020 11:14 GMT
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'60 per cent' of public need to contract coronavirus for herd immunity to take effect

There are currently more than 125,000 confirmed coronavirus cases around the world, with more than 5,000 deaths.

In a bid to contain the virus and stop its spread, an increasing number of countries are locking down their borders and imposing travel restrictions.

With bans being announced and implemented at the last minute, those abroad are left scrambling to get home as airlines and cruise companies announce unprecedented cancellations.

See what was our live blog below

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The US travel ban on travellers from Europe is due to come into effect from midnight on 13 March (4am on 14 March in the UK).

It will affect Schengen area countries, including Italy, Spain and France.

The UK and Ireland are exempt - but if you've visited any of the Schengen countries in the last 14 days you will be affected.

Qin Xie13 March 2020 09:52
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The US is also advising its citizens to reconsider international travel due to coronavirus.

The country's State Department said that due to the Covid-19 outbreak, travel restrictions could be put into place "without notice".

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning US citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to a number of European countries, in addition to those in the Schengen area. 

Qin Xie13 March 2020 10:03
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A number of European countries are locking down their borders in response to coronavirus.

The Czech Republic is closing its border to travellers from 15 nations, including the US, from 11pm on 13 March. 

However, The Independent has learnt some visitors were already being turned away before the ban comes into effect. 

Qin Xie13 March 2020 10:17
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Australia, as well as several countries in Asia, have imposed their own travel restrictions.

In particular, countries including Thailand and India are suspending their current visa policies.

Australia is also asking its citizens to reconsider travel.  

Qin Xie13 March 2020 10:31
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In its latest situation report, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said the number confirmed cases around the world stands at 125,048 – 6,729 new cases have officially been recorded since yesterday.

French Polynesia, Turkey, Honduras and Côte d’Ivoire have reported their first cases in the last 24 hours.

The WHO stresses that it's a "controllable pandemic". 

Qin Xie13 March 2020 10:45
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The UK government has updated its travel advice for British people travelling to or living in other countries.

Those who are still planning to travel should check and sign up for travel alerts from the FCO before they go. This will include updates on any travel restrictions and bans in place.

You should check that any bookings, such as flights and accommodation, are still valid and haven't been cancelled as well. You should also prepare for any last-minute travel disruptions while you're away.

It's also important to have travel insurance in place in case you're affected by any disruptions. If you're purchasing a new travel insurance policy, make sure you are fully covered as a number of travel insurance companies are now pulling products that would previously have covered disruption due to coronavirus. Double check with your provider if you're not sure.

Qin Xie13 March 2020 11:02
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Latvia has now declared a State of Emergency, effective immediately.

The Latvian Centre or Disease Prevention and Control has said that travellers coming from Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, UK, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, USA, Greece, Iceland, Singapore, Japan, Iran, South Korea and China will need to monitor their health for 14 days after their arrival. This includes taking their temperature twice a day.

If you develop flu-like symptoms including fever, cough or difficulty breathing, you should call 113.  

The country is also shutting down all educational institutions and banning events with more than 200 people until 14 April. 

Qin Xie13 March 2020 11:12
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Disney will be closing all of its theme parks from this weekend.

The company's parks in Asia have been closed since earlier this year due to coronavirus. It announced on Thursday that Disneyland in Anaheim, California, will close from Saturday 14 March until the end of the month – this is only the fourth time that the park has closed in its history.

Disney have since announced that Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Paris will be closing as well. A spokesperson for the parks told The Independent:

 In an abundance of caution and in the best interest of our guests and employees, we are proceeding with the closure of our theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Paris Resort, beginning at the close of business on Sunday, March 15, through the end of the month.  

The hotels at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris will remain open until further notice. The retail and dining complexes, Disney Springs at Walt Disney World and Disney Village at Disneyland Paris, will remain open. 

The company is also suspending upcoming cruises on Disney Cruise Line from Saturday 14 March until the end of the month.

Disney said it will continue to pay its staff during this period of closure. 

Qin Xie13 March 2020 11:29
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Universal Orlando Resort will also be closing from the end of business on Sunday 15 March. The park will be closed until the end of March.

The company said that its hotels and Universal CityWalk will remain open during this time. 

Qin Xie13 March 2020 12:00
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The Foreign Office is now warning against all but essential travel to a number of regions in Spain.

These include: Madrid and La Rioja, the municipalities of La Bastida and Vitoria (both in the Basque Country) and Miranda de Ebro (in Castilla y León).

The above regions have been designated "areas of community transmission of coronavirus" by the Spanish Ministry of Health, according to the Foreign Office.

Qin Xie13 March 2020 12:13

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