Coronavirus travel restrictions a concern as illness spreads

President Trump said Tuesday the White House is monitoring coronavirus “hot spots” like Italy, South Korea and Japan to determine if it needs to impose additional restrictions — like the the one administration has placed on Chinese flights.

“We’re watching Italy very closely, South Korea very closely, even Japan very closely, and we’ll make the right determination at the right time,” Trump said. “They are the hot spots right now.”

At Boston’s Logan International Airport, Korean Air has said it is pausing service from March 8 to 28, Massachusetts Port Authority spokeswoman Bernice Freedman said. Alitalia — the Italian airline providing direct service to Logan — resumed its seasonal service yesterday. The airline did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Airports throughout the United States — including at Logan — are conducting enhanced health screenings of travelers with the assistance of the Centers for Disease Control based, Customs and Border Protection spokesman Michael McCarthy said.

Travel experts’ opinions are mixed on whether additional screenings for passengers traveling into the U.S. from the “hot spot” nations Trump described are necessary.

Daniel Richards, owner CEO founder of Global Rescue said “there is no downside to screening” travelers from those countries.

“We absolutely need to take precautions for people who are traveling back from places where COVID-19 has taken a foothold,” Richards said.

Courtney Kansler, senior health intelligence analyst at WorldAware said additional screenings aren’t necessary and might not even be effective.

“It only will catch people who are already actively sick,” Kansler said.

The biggest deterrent for travelers currently is the threat of quarantine, both experts agreed.

“There is the risk you might find yourself trapped in a quarantine zone and not able to come home,” Richards said. Kansler noted travelers should be prepared for changing travel restrictions and even bans as the virus continues to spread.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2uQQ3hP