Outbreak of Coronavirus in China: Everything Brits Need to Know

Following the growing spread of the life-threatening coronavirus, tifgroup, the UK’s leading travel insurer, has answered the nation’s concerns regarding travelling to or from China.

The coronavirus, also known as 2019-nCoV, is a new strain of disease that has not previously been known to infect humans. As it currently stands, around 440 cases of the infection have been confirmed and it has sadly resulted in a number of deaths.

Mia Coles, Technical Underwriter at tifgroup, offers travel guidance for those planning to travel to China, or currently in the country. She says:

I’m currently in China and worried whether I will be covered, should I be affected by the virus?

Any customers currently in China will continue to be covered, despite any changes to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) advice. This should be standard across the insurance industry and all policies. However, we strongly advise that those in China take precautionary measures to avoid the outbreak.

We recommend that tourists avoid any known areas affected by the virus, and also wear face masks to reduce any chances of catching the virus.

For anyone unfortunate enough to contract the virus while in China, rest assured, we will cover any emergency medical treatment in public facilities unless otherwise authorised by our assistance team beforehand.

I’m currently in China and want to return home early. What can I do?

If you are currently in China and your trip is part of a package holiday, we recommend that you call your tour operator or travel agent to discuss flight availability and other options in the first instance.

For those who have booked their trip independently and want to come home earlier than originally planned, we recommend that you check your travel insurance policy wordings first as many policies do not cover cutting your trip short due to “the fear of an epidemic, pandemic, infection or allergic reaction”.

Should you decide to travel home early, we recommend altering any return tickets, where possible, or booking onto alternative commercial flights. Any travel insurance claims for those who booked independently and chose to return home early, where medically justified, should be treated sympathetically.

 I’m due to travel to China and want to cancel my trip – what can I do?

A viral outbreak is, unfortunately, not covered in most travel insurance policies as many policies do not cover cancelling a trip due to “the fear of an epidemic, pandemic, infection or allergic reaction”.

This being said, this is not to say that there aren’t other options available.

If you have booked your trip as a package holiday, you may be able to amend or cancel your booking with your tour operator. We recommend that travellers look into options with their travel agent or tour operator in the first instance to see what is available to them.

If you are not able to amend your trip details but have a medical reason for having to cancel your trip, then your travel insurer may also be able to offer some flexibility. Although, you will have to contact them to discuss if this is possible.

I can amend my trip – can I amend my travel insurance too?

Yes.

If you are able to change your trip destination or travel dates then most insurance policies will allow you to change your travel insurance policy to suit the alterations, completely free of charge.

This is as long as the new trip is for the same length of time or to the same location or geographical area. For example, if you were intending on travelling to China for 2 weeks and you are now going to South Africa for the same amount of time, there would be no additional charge.

All you need to do is call your travel insurance provider and make the necessary amendments to your policy.

I can’t amend my trip but I have been offered a refund by my tour operator. Will my travel insurance refund me too?  

They should do!

If you are unable to rearrange your trip but are offered a refund by your travel agent or tour operator, most travel insurers will able to offer you a full refund of your travel insurance policy. This is, of course, if there are no outstanding claims made against your existing policy.

I’m due to travel to China but haven’t bought my travel insurance yet. Will I still be covered?

Possibly.

Providing the FCO hasn’t changed their travel advice prior to your departure, then yes, you will still be covered by your travel insurance policy.

However, if the FCO declared that China is unsafe to travel to and you hadn’t yet bought your policy, then no you wouldn’t be.

We always recommend that you purchase your travel insurance policy as soon as you book your trip to avoid any unexpected events.

More information

You can find out more on the coronavirus on Travel Insurance Explained’s website. Please click here.

If this information still doesn’t answer your questions, you should contact your tour operator or travel insurer for advice and guidance.