The Ministry of Health and Wellness has advised residents of Barbados against travelling to China and South Korea, unless absolutely necessary.
The recommendation follows a previous advisory, issued last month, warning against non-essential travel to Hubei Province in China after the coronavirus outbreak in its capital, Wuhan, last December.
Acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Kenneth George, said that the Ministry’s Emergency Organizing Committee has been closely monitoring the international situation and the decision to extend the advisory to include all areas of China and South Korea was based on the latest available information provided by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
He further advised persons travelling to Italy and Iran, which have both reported clusters of COVID-19 cases, to take all necessary precautions related to respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene.
Enhanced surveillance is also now in place at the ports of entry for passengers arriving from all these destinations.