Updated March 10, 2020 to reflect Canada’s chief medical health officer advising against travelling on cruises.

Travellers are increasingly hesitant to confirm vacation plans amid fears of the novel coronavirus outbreak. Others may be tempted to take advantage of cheaper plane tickets. But you should make well-informed decisions before sliding over your credit card and hopping on a plane or boat. Here’s some questions to help you make your decision:

1. Which countries have active travel health notices?

Keep checking the government of Canada website for the latest travel advisories. Ottawa has issued alerts warning Canadians to avoid non-essential travel to China, Iran and northern Italy. There are also lower-level advisories for other countries affected by COVID-19: Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and South Korea.

2. What shape am I in?

You may want to rethink your plans if you have a chronic illness or suppressed immune system, as you could be more susceptible to contracting the virus and are at a higher risk for complications.

The federal government recommends visiting a travel health clinic at least six weeks before heading out.

3. Can Ottawa help me when I’m abroad?

If you are going to be travelling, or are currently travelling, you can use the Registration of Canadians Abroad. Through registration, you will enable Canadian government officials to contact you should there be changes or updates to the travel advice and advisories for the country for which you have registered.

4. Should I buy cancellation insurance?

A few credit cards have cancellation insurance so be sure to check what your card offers. It your card doesn’t offer cancellation insurance, you might want to consider buying it.

The Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada says you should reach out to your insurance company immediately if the federal government recommends you avoid all travel or all non-essential travel to your destination. Most cancellation or interruption policies will have you covered under such advisories.

“Beyond this, an interruption to your trip, such as being quarantined, would also be a covered risk under most plans. It is important to note that the insurance must be booked prior to travelling and prior to any such travel advisory being issued by the Canadian government,” association executive director Will McAleer said in a statement to the Star.

If your destination falls outside such advisories, you probably won’t be covered unless you’ve signed up for additional “cancel for any reason” coverage under your plan, which can provide you reimbursement regardless of the reason you had to cancel.

“This comes at a premium cost, and customers should always check with their insurance providers before upgrading,” McAleer said. “While most . . . policies would cover such a scenario, it’s important to keep in mind that they typically do not reimburse the full amount.”

5. Is it safe for the elderly to travel?

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

The Ontario Ministry of Health says those with weakened immune systems are more at risk of contracting the virus should they come in contact with it. That includes older people and those with chronic diseases (like diabetes, cancer, heart, renal or chronic lung disease, for instance).

6. What is the risk of getting COVID-19 on a plane?

According to the CDC, because of how air circulates and is filtered on airplanes, most viruses and other germs do not spread easily on airplanes. Although the risk of infection on an airplane is low, travellers should try to avoid contact with sick passengers and wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer that contain 60 to 95 per cent alcohol.

7. Is it safe to go on a cruise?

On March 9, federal authorities warned Canadians should avoid all cruise ship travel as the ships have proven to be effective incubators for the spread of the virus.

Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, said cruise ship vacations represent a risk no longer worth taking.

“Cruise ships have passengers from around the world who may be arriving from areas with known or unknown spread of the novel coronavirus,” Tam said, adding that the virus can spread quickly on board due to close contact between passengers.

8. What other precautions should I take if I’m travelling?

Avoid contact with dead or live animals, such as pigs, chickens, ducks or wild birds. Stay away from raw or undercooked meat, farms or live animal markets where animals are slaughtered and avoid anything that may have been in contact with these animals.

Also, make sure to follow the travel health notices issued by the federal government to see what precautions are being recommended to travellers to countries with outbreaks.

March 3, 2020 — Correction: This story has been updated from a previously published version to fix the headline which had the wrong number of questions, updates that there’s an avoid non-essential travel advisory to northern Italy and other minor edits.