Travel Questions About the Coronavirus

Travel questions about the coronavirus are on the rise.  People want to know: “is it safe to travel”?

As we pointed out in this article on February 1st, it is not safe to travel to China.  And since then, most of the cruises and travel packages that involved China have either been canceled or rerouted.

Today, the stock market is in a tizzy as the coronavirus has popped its head up in Italy.

And of course, this has raised concern for the millions of baby boomer travelers with plans to visit Europe in the coming months.

What to Do About Coronavirus in Europe?

• First of all, don’t panic.  The stock market hates surprises, and it is panicking today.  The coronavirus in Europe is not necessarily a surprise.  It was bound to show up with the world-wide travel that exists today. Nonetheless, the stock market and our 24/7 media are certain to talk about this ad nauseam today.
• Keep it in perspective. According to the CDC, up to 42.9 million people got sick during the 2018-2019 flu season, 647,000 people were hospitalized, and 61,200 died.  So, at the moment, the flu is a far bigger issue.  Did you get a flu shot?
• For now, wait and see. None of us can know the impact the coronavirus will have on our European travel plans for 2020.  However, at the moment, the State Department and the CDC only have travel warnings for China.  So again, let’s not panic.  Let’s all be prudent and stay informed.  It is way too early to panic about European travel.
• Travel Insurance Questions. Unless you have one of the more expensive “cancel for any reason” travel insurance policies, epidemics are not covered by travel insurance.  Travel insurance covers you for something that has happened, and not for something we fear might happen.

The coronavirus is causing stress for some travelers.  We understand.  We have a trip to Ireland on the books.  But for us, we’re going to wait and see.  It seems that warmer weather seems to drive these types of things into the history books.  And for all of our sakes, we hope that is the case with this coronavirus.

How to Stay Current About the Coronavirus

To help you keep current on the coronavirus, here are some helpful links:

• The U.S. Department of State
• The CDC

Thank you for taking the time to read this informative article.  If you are a client and have further questions, just give us a call. 🙂

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