US issues travel warning to China for coronavirus

The U.S. State Department issued a travel warning Thursday to China because of a severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus first identified in Wuhan.

"U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a Watch Level 3 Alert (Avoid Nonessential Travel) for an ongoing outbreak of pneumonia first identified in Wuhan, China, caused by a novel (new) coronavirus," the department said in the alert.

It warned Americans that Chinese authorities suspended travel from Wuhan to contain the novel coronavirus.

"Be aware that planned travel within China may be disrupted," it added.

Although the World Health Organization (WHO) is yet to issue a warning on the virus, a total of 571 people have been infected with a new coronavirus with 17 deaths in China. It is similar to the virus related to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

Airport and train stations were closed to outgoing passengers Thursday while public transportation suspended in the city.

As of Wednesday, the virus was detected in one person each in Hong Kong and Macao Chinese special administrative regions each.

The virus was also seen in the U.S., Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia.