If northern Italy is in your travel plans over the next week or so, you may want to consider delaying your travel — or, at least, keep yourself updated as to the latest information pertaining to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, of which at least 2,700 people have died of the minimum of 80,239 confirmed cases worldwide.
Travel Alert February 2020: Northern Italy Now Affected by 2019 Novel Coronavirus
Of the at least 229 confirmed cases of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus — which is now also known as COVID-19 — in northern Italy, a minimum of six people have died. 212 of those cases were confirmed in the city of Lombardy.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a Level 2 travel alert for Italy, meaning that travelers should practice enhanced precautions.
If you spent time in Italy during the past 14 days and feel sick with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing:
- Seek medical advice. Call ahead before going to the office of a doctor or emergency room. Tell them about your recent travel an area with community spread of coronavirus, and your symptoms.
- Avoid contact with others.
- Do not travel while sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve — not your hands — when coughing or sneezing.
- Clean your hands by washing them with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains between 60 percent alcohol and 95 percent alcohol immediately after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose. Soap and water should be used if hands are visibly dirty.
The 2019 Novel Coronavirus was first identified in Wuhan, which is located in the Hubei Province of China.
Investigations to learn more about the 2019 Novel Coronavirus continue to be ongoing in this rapidly evolving situation.
The TravelCentre of the International Air Transport Association has a comprehensive list of countries which have imposed entry restrictions as a result of the outbreak of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus worldwide; and the list is updated every day.
Flight Waivers, Delays and Cancellations
If you are traveling to northern Italy over the next week or so, expect delays and cancellations of flights. Keep up to date on the latest information pertaining to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus which may adversely affect your travel plans. Better yet, postponing or canceling your trip might be a better option — no matter which mode of travel you plan on taking.
If you have a flight scheduled, your flight may be delayed or canceled — and you may be eligible for a waiver of a fee to change your itinerary.
Here are five airlines which have issued travel alerts as a result of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus in northern Italy:
- Delta Air Lines has issued travel alerts for Milan – Malpensa, Milan – Linate, Venice – Marco Polo, and Bologna – Guglielmo Marconi Airports for Tuesday, February 25, 2020 through Saturday, March 2, 2020; and Tuesday, March 31, 2020 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
- Air France has issued travel alerts for Milan – Malpensa, Milan – Linate, Venice – Marco Polo, and Bologna – Guglielmo Marconi Airports for Tuesday, February 25, 2020 through Saturday, March 2, 2020; and Tuesday, March 31, 2020 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has issued travel alerts for Milan – Malpensa, Milan – Linate, Venice – Marco Polo, and Bologna – Guglielmo Marconi Airports for Tuesday, February 25, 2020 through Saturday, March 2, 2020; and Tuesday, March 31, 2020 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
- Iberia has issued travel alerts for Milan – Malpensa, Milan – Linate, Venice – Marco Polo, Bologna – Guglielmo Marconi, and Turin Airports for Tuesday, February 25, 2020 through Saturday, March 2, 2020; and Tuesday, March 31, 2020 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
- easyJet has issued a travel alert for airports throughout Italy; and tickets may be reissued for rebooked travel, but no specific final date has been given. If you are affected, call the airline for specific information.
Summary
This is the last thing Italy needs after enduring the latest of a countless number of strikes today by workers during recent years.
Additional airlines may issue travel waivers to and from northern Italy as a result of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus — in addition to the airlines which have issued travel alerts to and from China as well as have issued travel alerts to and from Hong Kong, and have issued travel alerts to and from South Korea — and hundreds of hotel and resort properties have temporarily closed.
Please refer to this article pertaining to whether you should be concerned about the 2019 Novel Coronavirus — which was written on Friday, January 24, 2020 here at The Gate — for additional details and information, although some of the information is now outdated.
Be sure to contact your airline or transportation provider for the latest information pertaining to your travels — if they are adversely affected — and please: travel safely.
All photographs ©2014 and ©2019 by Brian Cohen.
