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The U.S. doesn’t want you to travel to China because of the coronavirus

Don’t travel to Wuhan or China, according to the U.S. State Department

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A patient at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei Province.

In this photo released by China’s Xinhua News Agency, Peng Zhiyong, center, head of the department of critical care medicine, and his colleagues attend to a patient at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei Province, Firday, Jan. 24, 2020. China announced Friday that it is swiftly building a 1,000-bed hospital dedicated to patients infected with a new virus that has killed 26 people, sickened hundreds and prompted unprecedented lockdowns of cities during the country’s most important holiday.

Xiong Qi, Xinhua via Associated Press

The U.S. State Department has issued a request for Americans not to travel to Wuhan, China, thanks to the coronavirus outbreak, USA Today reports.

What’s going on: The State Department issued a level 4 travel advisory to not travel to the China province of Hubei, which is home to Wuhan, the epicenter of the mysterious virus, according to USA Today.

  • The state department has kept China at a level 2 advisory.
  • The advisory reads: “There is an ongoing outbreak of pneumonia first identified in Wuhan, China, caused by a novel (new) coronavirus. In an effort to contain the novel coronavirus, the Chinese authorities have suspended air and rail travel in the area around Wuhan.”
  • “Chinese authorities have imposed strict travel restrictions in the area around Wuhan. Travelers should be aware that the Chinese government could prevent them from entering or exiting parts of Hubei province. Travelers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice.”

Similar: China has restricted travel for 35 million people as the death toll rises from the virus, according to The New York Times. A second case of the virus was also confirmed in the United States after first appearing in Washington state.

What’s next: The CDC is still investigating the virus. Last week, it sent out staffers to different airports for screenings of travelers, including San Francisco International, Los Angeles International and John F. Kennedy International airports. Screenings were added at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International and Chicago O’Hare International airports, per the Deseret News.