Israel warns against all non-essential travel to China
"The health system is organized and ready, and in constant contact with the World Health Organization and health agencies worldwide," the ministry said in a statement.
By EYTAN HALONPeople waiting for passengers wear masks at Pearson airport arrivals, shortly after Toronto Public Health received notification of Canada's first presumptive confirmed case of coronavirus, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada January 25, 2020(photo credit: REUTERS/CARLOS OSORIO)
The Health Ministry warned against all nonessential travel to China on Sunday, amid global fears over the spread of the novel coronavirus.Following a situational assessment in the ministry, authorities have warned citizens to avoid all travel to Hubei province, the origin of the outbreak, and to pay close attention to travel restrictions imposed by the Chinese government.“The health system is organized and ready and in constant contact with the World Health Organization and health agencies worldwide,” the ministry said.At least 56 people have died in China since the outbreak of the virus, and more than 2,000 people have been infected globally, mainly in China. Despite restrictions imposed by Chinese authorities to contain the transmission of the virus, the WHO’s emergency committee is set to reconvene in the coming days to consider whether the outbreak constitutes a global health emergency.As of late Sunday evening, two patients were being tested for the coronavirus in Israel. A woman in her sixties, who returned from China last week, was placed in isolation at Tel Aviv’s Sourasky Medical Center. A Chinese construction worker living in Sderot, who arrived in Israel at the beginning of January, was also taken by ambulance to Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon for a series of tests.Over the weekend, three Israelis were tested for the lethal virus after returning from China with flu-like symptoms and were given the all-clear. A Chinese tourist hospitalized in the West Bank was also found to be virus-free, the Health Ministry said.Should Israelis develop a respiratory illness – fever and cough – within 14 days of returning from China, the ministry added, they are instructed to contact their doctor or go to an emergency room immediately, and inform them of the circumstances of their illness prior to arrival.Dr. Hagai Levine, a faculty member of the Hebrew University’s Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, and chairman of the Association of Public Health Physicians, told The Jerusalem Post that risk assessments regarding the possible spread of the virus to Israel remain difficult, as researchers still lack concrete information regarding the mode of transmission of the virus.“It is pretty likely that we will see sporadic cases in Israel, but the question is what are the chances of an outbreak in Israel? It is still too early to tell,” Levine said. “Israeli authorities can and should enact precautionary measures at a national level. On a personal level, anyone traveling – especially to China – needs to be aware of the situation and protect himself or herself by avoiding close contact with people with a fever or a cough, and by avoiding unnecessary travel – especially to the Hubei area or city of Wuhan.”To prevent the transmission of a range of different viruses, Levine said, individuals are encouraged to wash their hands frequently. It is also recommended to get the flu vaccine in order to decrease the likelihood of confusion, as the novel coronavirus cannot be diagnosed based on symptoms alone.The outbreak has prompted widening curbs on movements within China, with Wuhan, a city of 11 million, on virtual lockdown, and transport links all but severed, except for emergency vehicles. Airports around the world have stepped up screening of passengers from China, although some health officials and experts have questioned the effectiveness of these efforts.Chinese authorities have also restricted the departure of tour groups to overseas destinations, already leading to the cancellation of some visits to Israel. With approximately 150 million foreign trips made by Chinese tourists last year, wide-scale restrictions on outbound travel could have a serious impact on the global tourism industry.“China is the number one source market for tourism in the world, and every change that happens in China has a huge effect globally,” tourism expert Eran Ketter, a lecturer at Kinneret College’s Department of Tourism and Hotel Management, told the Post. “In Israel, about 150,000 Chinese tourists visited last year, but other countries are enjoying millions of tourists. Most of the effect will be felt in nearby Asian destinations, such as Hong Kong, Macao, Singapore and Japan,” Ketter said. “When it comes to inbound tourism, less people are interested in going to China. If going on a business trip, then you might still go, but if you want to enjoy the culture, then China is not the place to elect at the moment.”Even if China is declared coronavirus-free tomorrow, Ketter says, past crises – including the SARS epidemic in 2002 and 2003 – show that it could take months for tourists to return in similar numbers. Should the outbreak continue to escalate, it may also cause spillover damage to inbound tourism in other countries in the region.“We need to remember that distances are huge. Looking at the Ebola epidemic a couple of years ago in Western Africa, people refrained from visiting Eastern Africa. We saw the impact on tourism in Kenya, thousands of kilometers away,” said Ketter. “We need to remember that tourism is a multi-billion dollar industry. Behind the hotels hosting domestic and international guests, there are suppliers – those providing breakfast, and souvenir shops, local goods and taxi drivers. There is a huge circle of impact caused by the crisis.”Reuters contributed to this article.
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