U.S. advises against travel to China; virus declared emergency

BEIJING - The U.S. advised against all travel to China on Friday after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of a new virus that has spread to more than a dozen countries a global emergency. The number of cases spiked more than tenfold in a week, including the highest death toll in a 24-hour period reported Friday.

The State Department's travel advisory told Americans currently in China to consider departing using commercial means, and requested that all non-essential U.S. government personnel defer travel "in light of the novel coronavirus."

http://www.startribune.com/china-reports-new-cases-of-virus-death-toll-rises-to-213/567443002/