U.S. RAISES TRAVEL ADVISORY FOR S. KOREA

[Anchor Lead]

The United States has raised its travel advisory for South Korea to Level two. South Korea's foreign ministry stressed that the measure does not mean American citizens are banned from visiting Korea or that Koreans are not allowed to enter the U.S. However, many other countries may follow suit

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The U.S. State Department has raised its travel advisory for South Korea to Level 2. Although it's below Level 3 which advises travelers to reconsider their plans or Level 4, which bans travel to a certain country altogether, level two does advise exercising caution. The U.S. also gave Level 2 travel advisories to Japan, Hong Kong and Macau. The State Department cited the growing spread of the coronavirus in local communities as the reason behind the measure.

[Soundbite] DR. ANTHONY FAUCI(NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES)

The U.S. CDC also raised its travel advisory for South Korea to Level 2. It is advising Americans to avoid contact with infected people when visiting Korea, and consider postponing their trip if they are of an advanced age or have any chronic health conditions. The U.S. media is extensively covering the situation in Korea, including Seoul's decision to raise the nation's virus alert level to the highest of "red." Seoul's foreign ministry stressed that Washington's decision does not imply an entry ban for Korean nationals, nor does it mean that American citizens are banned from visiting Korea. If the situation in Korea becomes worse, countries around the world could raise their travel alerts for South Korea even further.