Coronavirus

Coronavirus impact: Bay Area travelers react to new US travel restrictions

ByCornell W. Barnard KGO logo

Monday, March 2, 2020

Coronavirus impact: Bay Area travelers react to new US travel restrictions

With the spreading of the novel coronavirus, the federal government is moving quickly to enact new travel restrictions to South Korea and Italy.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- With the spreading of the novel coronavirus, the federal government is moving quickly to enact new travel restrictions to South Korea and Italy.

At SFO, fears of the virus have increased.

"It's hard to travel around to places without seeing someone who could have the virus," said traveler Kevin Ramos.

Ramos just returned from South Korea where Coronavirus is spreading.

With new cases of the virus erupting in Italy and South Korea, and now that an American in Washington State has died from the Virus, The Trump Administration is implementing new travel restrictions.

"We are urging Americans not to travel to the areas in Italy and the areas in South Korea that are most effected by Coronavirus," said Vice President Mike Pence.

Both countries have hundreds of infected patients. The State Department says they'll coordinate screenings for all passengers before they depart from either country to America.

Jiyoung Shin just arrived from Seoul, she says there was minimal health screenings in South Korea or at SFO.

Coming here, they just asked if I had been to China, which I hadn't but clearly the virus is not limited to just china," said Shin.

Airlines are also responding to the outbreak. Delta is reducing flights to South Korea while Hawaiian Airlines is suspending them entirely.

With a vaccine still months away, the CDC says the best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed with these steps:

Wash your hands with soap, avoid touching your face, if you feel sick stay home and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

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