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Chinese Coronavirus Ruins Lunar New Year Travel Plans

As the new coronavirus keeps spreading in China and the official death total reached 41 people, the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations didn’t go as usual for millions of people. The Lunar New Year is the traditional time to travel and to visit families or friends for many people around the world. However, this time many travelers had to skip their plans. People had to cancel their Wuhan hotel reservations as the city is currently closed due to the outbreak of the disease.

All public transportation systems, airports, and train stations are currently closed in the city of Wuhan. All people, who are left in the city, are obliged to wear face masks in public places. This week, the World Health Organization had an emergency meeting regarding the new virus. It didn’t declare the crisis but insisted on close monitoring of the situation.

The vast majority of deaths were in Hubei province, which capital, Wuhan, is the epicenter of the virus. The origins of the new disease are not yet clearly known but it is safe to say that the new coronavirus is contagious and spreads quickly. Currently, there are more than 1,370 cases of the disease confirmed worldwide. Almost all provinces of China are affected by the virus. Moreover, health authorities in many countries have identified cases of the coronavirus. Thailand, Japan, South Korea, the United States, France, and Australia already confirmed the disease. All the sick people either visited Wuhan or were in contact with people from Wuhan.

The virus appeared in a very unfortunate period – the Lunar New Year holidays. This is traditionally the time when millions of people travel and this fact could greatly accelerate the spread of the virus. Many countries recommend their citizens to refrain from visiting the province of Hubei or postpone their holidays in China until the time when the new virus stops being a threat.

Needless to say, this will strike hard hotels in Wuhan and other cities across China. According to the latest news, currently, there are 50 million people in China who are under lockdown. We can only hope that the epidemic stops soon, and people return to their normal lives. After that, it will be possible to calculate the losses of China’s hospitality system and the country in general. The new virus is from the same family as the infamous SARS virus. In 2003, it spread quickly in mainland China and Hong Kong, claiming lives of almost 800 people.

25.01.2020

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