We are closely monitoring the outbreak of the COVID-19 in China‚ and are in constant communication with our offices located throughout China.

At this time, the U.S. Department of State has issued a travel advisory to China. We are working with our customers who are scheduled to travel to China in the next few weeks to make changes to their itineraries. At this time‚ the U.S. Department of State and the CDC have not provided any specific timelines, as the situation is changing daily.

Given the evolving nature of the situation‚ we will continue to follow guidance from the U.S. Department of State and the CDC and will respond quickly to any announcement of new requirements. We will not be running tours to China through May 31, 2020, however, at this time we will not be making any additional changes to tours scheduled after May 31‚ 2020. We are recommending that travelers wait to see how the situation evolves before making any changes to their travel plans. We will continue to be in touch with anyone whose itinerary will be impacted.

In the meantime, the CDC has released a list of preventative measures anyone can take to avoid contracting and spreading an illness:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

For those looking for additional resources on this topic, we recommend trusted sources, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. Please contact us with any questions.

Though some fires are still burning in the Canberra region of Australia, fires around the rest of the country have mostly died down and do not pose an ongoing threat to travelers. The US Department of State is not discouraging travel to Australia and, throughout the fires, did not raise the advisory level at any time. Tourism Australia is encouraging travel during this time to help support the country during this time of recovery.

EF has continued to monitor the safety concerns in Australia throughout this incident, communicating frequently with our local offices and agents to understand any potential impact the fires could have on our travelers’ experience.

At this time, we are not making changes to any part of our itineraries, but travelers should expect to see areas of devastation while visiting Kangaroo Island, as much of the land was impacted by the fires. The island is safe for travel and we believe visits to the area will offer interesting educational moments and opportunities to support the local communities there.

Please contact us with any questions.