A warning has been released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention against all nonessential travel to China.
The warning comes in the light of the increasing worries about the coronavirus that has infected five people in the U.S. and has over 100 people under observation across 26 states.
Chinese officials have closed transport within and out of Wuhan and other cities in the Hubei province, including buses, subways, trains and the international airport.
CDC is closely monitoring an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by coronavirus, named 2019-nCoV.
“A number of travel-associated cases of 2019-nCoV infection also have been identified in other locations, including the United States,” said the CDC statement. “In other parts of Asia, some limited person-to-person spread has been detected among close contacts of travelers returning from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak, however, community spread with this virus has not been reported in locations outside China.”
The CDC pointed out that based on current information, the immediate health risk from 2019-nCoV to the general American public is considered low at this time.
“As we learn more about this new coronavirus, we will continue to update our guidance. An updated Health Alert to health care professionals and public health partners with new and updated guidance is forthcoming this week,” the statement said.
Experts have stated that the risk of coronavirus coming to Massachusetts is low but warns people to take precautions as they would in the flu season, by washing hands regularly and covering their mouth when sneezing.
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