A novel coronavirus is causing an outbreak of respiratory illness that was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, and a few cases have been diagnosed in the United States. According to the latest CDC assessment on the novel coronavirus (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html), the immediate risk of this new virus to the American public is believed to be low at this time. However, given the large flow of people at the Visa Office of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China, the following measures are recommended to prevent the spread of the virus:

1. If there is no urgent purpose of travel, please postpone the application at the Visa Office, and avoid the peak period after the Spring Festival holiday in particular.

2. If you have been to Hubei Province in the past two weeks or have been in close contact with patients with fever and respiratory symptoms, or if you are experiencing a body temperature of 37.3ºC (99.1 ºF) or above, or feel sick with cough and other symptoms, please seek medical care right away and avoid contact with others.

3. The Visa Office will be disinfected on a daily basis and provide hand sanitizers for the applicants.

It is recommended to take a rational approach to the epidemic and take steps to prevent the spread of the virus. Do not believe or spread unconfirmed information. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!

 Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America

January 29, 2020