State Department warns against travel to China amid outbreak

The U.S. State Department on Thursday warned Americans not to travel to China amid a deadly coronavirus outbreak that has sickened thousands of people in the country.

The State Department in its “do not travel” advisory also says “those currently in China should consider departing using commercial means.”

It said non-essential U.S. government personnel should defer travel to China because of the outbreak.

By the end of Thursday, there were 9,692 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in China, and 213 deaths.

Earlier this week, a plane evacuated 195 Americans from China. Those people are at a military base in Southern California for monitoring, and officials say they have shown no sign of the virus.

The virus has spread to 18 other countries, including the United States.