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5 things you need know about traveling and the new coronavirus

Some travelers locally may be concerned about their travel plans and if they need to cancel them. The best way to keep up with that is to check the CDC website. It is putting up travel notices and explaining the risks of each area it lists.

Quick Facts:

  • Right now the areas of the world with higher risk include: China, Iran, South Korea, Italy and Japan.
  • Risk levels are listed on a scale of 1,2, and 3 -- 3 being the highest.
  • If you have returned from China, Northern Italy, South Korea or Iran within the last 14 days, the state surgeon general is asking that you stay home and monitor your health for 2 weeks.
  • The CDC also advises taking your temperature with a thermometer twice a day.
  • There are no major changes happening at Jacksonville International Airport at this time.

Additional information below:

Senator Rick Scott is calling for increased screening at all Florida international airports.

Action News Jax’s Courtney Cole visited the Jacksonville International Airport to learn what steps they’re taking for travelers.

"As the Coronavirus is going around, I’m just trying to stay as safe as possible,” Rowan Dodge said.

That’s why Dodge, and her mother Aimee Green, say they will both be wearing their masks on the plane ride home from JIA to Vermont.

"We were one of probably, maybe seven or eight people on the plane ever wearing masks,” Green said.

The U.S. Surgeon General practically pleaded with people to stop buying masks on Twitter, saying they are “not effective in preventing the general public from catching the coronavirus.”

Matt Thomas, traveling to New Hampshire, told Cole he plans to stay calm, watch the news, and just continue to wash his hands a lot.

“Hopefully it’ll run its course, people will develop immunity over time and we won’t have to worry about it anymore —hopefully,” Thomas said.

Passengers aren’t the only ones taking precautions. Green told Action News Jax she noticed the flight attendants wearing something extra, too.

“They were wearing gloves, they all had gloves on, which I thought was great,” Green said.

During your next trip to Jacksonville International Airport, you may notice more hand sanitizer.

The spokesman for the airport told Action News Jax they’re going to provide more for travelers.

According to the CDC, the risk of infection on an airplane is low, but you should still try to avoid sick passengers and wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

When it comes to canceling or postponing travel plans, the CDC said to check their website for travel notices, which are ranked on different levels.

Right now: China, Iran, South Korea, Italy and Japan are the only areas with higher risk.

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