Korean Air employees are seen at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) wearing masks, to prevent the coronavirus infection,COVID-19 on February 12. Daniel Slim/AFP/Getty Images

The US State Department has raised its travel advisory for South Korea to Level 3 -- meaning it advises people to "reconsider" their travel plans.

The travel advisory cites the coronavirus outbreak as the reason behind the raised alert, adding that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had also issued a Level 3 travel warning for people to avoid non-essential travel to South Korea.

"If suspected to have COVID-19 (coronavirus) in South Korea, you may face travel delays, quarantine, and extremely expensive medical costs," the advisory warned.

The advisory recommended travelers going to South Korea to:

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth before you wash your hands

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60%–95% alcohol

Clean your hands especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose

Discuss travel to South Korea with your healthcare provider

There have been 1,595 confirmed cases and 12 deaths from the virus in South Korea.

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