Coronavirus: European Union staff told to delay travel to China
- European Commission issues travel advisory to employees for non-essential trips
- Bloc’s crisis management chief says EU staff in China also recommended not to return to the EU at this stage
The death toll from the new coronavirus had climbed to 132, they announced, with 840 newly confirmed cases in Hubei province, where the outbreak was discovered in the provincial capital Wuhan. It came as Germany, Taiwan and Vietnam reported infections caused by human-to-human transmission.
EU asks staff to delay travel to China
The European Commission is advising its staff to delay “non-essential” travel to China, the top official in charge of crisis management said on Wednesday.
The advice concerns only European Union staff, as travel bans and recommendations to citizens are issued by national authorities of the bloc’s 28 states rather than the EU.
Commission officials and EU diplomats had been advised “to postpone or suspend all non-essential travel to China”, crisis management commissioner Janez Lenarcic said, adding that EU staff in China were also recommended not to return to the EU at this stage.
Foreigners infected inside China
At least three foreigners – two from Australia and one from Pakistan – have contracted the coronavirus while in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, according to provincial authorities.
