Coronavirus: South Canterbury travellers in limbo in wake of coronavirus

South Canterbury-based travel agents have reported an influx of enquiries as travellers raise concerns over upcoming trips in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

While only a small number of people had cancelled trips completely, others were in limbo waiting to make a final decision based on developments in the coming weeks.

Lee Johns, of My Travel Broker Timaru, said many of her customers were worried pulling the plug on their plans would come with a hefty price tag and others yet to book were reluctant to do so unless they knew they could cancel without losing their deposits.

Johns said she had been getting in contact with operators to find out where her customers stood.

"We have received many emails from suppliers, cruise lines, and airlines relaxing cancellation penalties to encourage clients to book without concerns of loss to finances," she said.

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Johns said she had two bookings cancelled since the outbreak of the virus due to health concerns, one from a group travelling to China and another from a couple travelling to Japan.

Johns said she was taking a "proactive approach" to the pandemic, devising an action plan for those travelling within the next 12 months.

"We're getting to the clients before they feel concerned enough to make a call," Johns said.

"Our role is to support people and reassure them wherever we can. Everybody's circumstances are different.

"You can't stick your head in the sand. If we were to say not to worry, it wouldn't be recognising our clients are having very real concerns."

Business had increased since the outbreak with those who would normally book themselves coming to Johns for advice, she said.

"We'd encourage people to work with someone local because if something goes wrong, you have someone to chat with face-to-face."

Johns had noticed a decline in travel to China, but an upturn in travel to Australia.

"As Kiwis, we still want to travel. We don't want to be stuck at home for the winter or very poor summer."

She believed clients were drawn to Australia at the moment because of the low cost compared to other international destinations; it was seen as a safe, close-to-home option; and to support those impacted by the bushfire tragedy.

Johns emphasised the importance of "good hygiene practices" for travellers worried about catching coronavirus.

House of Travel Timaru owner-operator Darryl Sandri said business had been especially busy since the outbreak.

"It has been all hands on deck for our team," Sandri said.

"The feedback we are getting is that people are more than ever appreciating the value of travel agents at times like this.

"We are here to offer expert advice and work with suppliers to get the best outcomes for our customers."

Most clients were choosing to defer their travel rather than change or cancel it, he said.

"While coronavirus has meant some immediate travel plans have been affected and travel consultants are fielding plenty of questions, only a small number of Kiwis are opting to cancel their future travel plans."

Sandri's advice to clients was to follow the travel advisories published on the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Safe Travel website.

"If travel is not recommended to a destination by this body, then we advise customers that they should follow this advice."

One Timaru resident in limbo over her travel plans is Gayle Borman, who for the past year had been planning to set sail on a cruise with her husband and 16 and 18-year-old daughters in July.

"We've been advised by our travel agent not to do anything rash at this stage," Borman said.

"They do say the coronavirus on a cruise is like a petri dish, but we haven't ruled the trip out completely.

"At the end of the day, we don't know what's going to happen."

The cruise would take the family to Sydney before circling the islands of Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Fiji.

Borman was waiting to see if the cruise was cancelled or some of the ports were closed.

She would understand if the islands decided to shut down their ports - recalling the Samoa measles outbreak which killed 83 people, most of them children, last year.

"It would be disappointing but I do realise the impact it would cause."

Borman, a speech-language therapist at Timaru Hospital, was also concerned about the effect on her clients if she caught coronavirus.

"Most of them are unwell or very sick," she said.

"The last thing I want to do is pass coronavirus onto elderly, fragile people who are susceptible."

"If we don't do it this year, we'll be able to do it another year."

What you need to know

• COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by a recently discovered coronavirus. It spreads via droplets from the nose or mouth expelled when a person with the disease coughs, sneezes or exhales. To avoid infection, people should stay at least a metre away from someone who has, or may have, the virus.
• The viral incubation period, that is time between catching the virus and showing symptoms, ranges between 1-14 days.
• The most common symptoms are fever, tiredness and dry cough. Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhoea. Some people become infected but don't develop symptoms or become unwell. 
• From what we know thus far, about four in five people recover without needing special treatment. About one in six become seriously ill and develop difficulty breathing. About one in 50 die.
• The risk of catching COVID-19 from someone with no symptoms is very low, because the virus spreads via droplets expelled by coughing. However, it is possible to catch the disease from someone with very mild symptoms, including a cough.
• To minimise the spread of infection, wash your hands thoroughly with an alcohol-based rub or soap and water, cover your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, and keep at least a metre away from other people coughing and sneezing.
• People who have been in or transited through China, Iran, northern Italy or the Republic of Korea, or have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19, should self-isolate for 14 days from the date of departure or close contact. They should also register with Healthline (0800 358 5453).
• People who display symptoms should phone Healthline in the first instance - don't head straight to your doctor or medical centre.