(03/03/2020) - Overseas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned people to avoid all non-essential travel to Italy, one of the European countries hardest hit by coronavirus.

With spring break and summer vacations, many people are wondering: should I stay or should I go?

John Schmitt is a certified travel counselor with 40 years of experience in Mid-Michigan. He is the president of Frankenmuth Travel Service with branches also in Grand Blanc and Bay City.

Schmitt said 90% of his calls lately are questions about the coronavirus, so it's on nearly every traveler's mind. Despite the several calls, however, he's only had three cancellations company-wide.

That's because his goal is to keep travelers informed so they can make the most educated decision.

"They just want their mind put at ease to say, 'Is it going to be OK for me to go?'" Schmitt said. "Again, we can't tell them, 'Yes, it's OK,' or 'It's not OK.' We still rely on the CDC, WHO, and the Level 3 Destinations."

According to the CDC, travelers should avoid all non-essential travel to China and Iran. Other countries with a Level 3 Travel Health Notice are South Korea and Italy.

There's a Level 2 Travel Health Notice on Japan and the CDC recommends postponing travel there for older adults and those who have chronic medical conditions.

Those traveling to Hong Kong have a Level 1 Travel Health Notice, so travelers should practice usual precautions.

At this point, the main concern is international travel. So if plans involve heading somewhere south like Florida or the Caribbean, there aren't any restrictions at this point. Just remember to wash hands a lot.

There are no other countries listed at this point in time, but Schmitt said travelers insurance is never a bad idea.

"Always consider cancellation insurance, and not that cancellation insurance in every case is going to cover the situation, but there are some that do, and where there might not be cancellation insurance, it could be a waiver, so that helps a lot of travelers to be more comfortable with what they're doing when they're making the purchase decision," Schmitt said.

He added that anyone who decides to cancel or postpone their trips, many airlines are waiving fees to change or cancel flights.

Schmitt said standard travelers insurance does not necessarily cover epidemics in most cases, but there are options that allow travelers to cancel for any reason.

For more information on traveling from the CDC or World Health Organization, see the "Related Links" section on the bottom or right side of this page.