Southeast Asian cuisine: What to eat and where
Southeast Asian cuisine is colourful, flavourful, and as diverse as the many cultures found in the region.
Food & Drink
24 Jan 2020Coronavirus Outbreak in Hubei Province, China: where to now?
Issued 1:45pm AEDT, 29th January 2020
Please be aware this post has 2 subsequent relevant updates. Click here to view our updated post.
Chinese authorities have identified an outbreak of a Novel (new) Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Wuhan City in Hubei Province. Should you travel to this province in China, we advise you to exercise a high degree of caution. If you have travelled to the Hubei Province and have developed symptoms of respiratory illness, please contact your doctor.
We also advise all travellers to reconsider your need to travel to China, as advised by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (DFAT) Smartraveller website. If your travel plans are affected, contact your airline, cruise or travel operator to check if tourist services are affected or for cancellations. However please note if you choose to cancel your trip, there are no provisions to claim under your policy for change of mind or fear of travel, and this is not a claimable event for travels outside the Hubei Provice, China. On top of this, please pay close attention to the local media and emergency services, including the World Health Organisation (WHO).
This is considered a known event as of 12:00am (AEDT) on 21st January 2020.
Am I Still Covered For Claims Related To This Event?
- If you bought your policy before 12:00am (AEDT) on 21st January 2020, you may be covered for claims related to this event (specifically in the Hubei Province, China).
- If you bought your policy between 12:00am (AEDT) on 21st January 2020 and 12:00pm (AEDT) on 29th January 2020, you may be covered for claims related to this event (specifically in the Hubei Province, China).
- If you bought your policy after 12:00pm (AEDT) on 29th January 2020, you will not be covered for claims related to this event in the Hubei Province, China. All claims are subject to the terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions of the policy you purchased. Please note:
- You may not be covered for claims arising in other parts of China, where disruptions to the itinerary occur as a result of publicly known tourist attraction closures directly related to the Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). For example: Shanghai Disneyland, the Forbidden City or the National Museum of China temporarily closing to contain the outbreak.
- You may be covered for claims directly related to travel delays as a result of quarantines at major airports directly related to the Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), outside the Hubei Province. Please be aware our policies only cover connecting flights where the stopover was originally scheduled on your itinerary for more than 6 hours.
For more information about travel insurance and Pandemic Coverage, check this article published by Choice: https://www.choice.com.au/travel/money/travel-insurance/articles/travel-insurance-pandemic
Eruption of Taal Volcano in the Philippines: Where To Now?
The eruption of Taal Volcano, near Manila in The Philippines has caused flights to be cancelled. Further, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology has issued a warning that more hazardous events may follow, which include a volcanic tsunami, nearby areas being threatened with volcanic matter, and hot gas currents.
As of 12:00am (AEDT) on 13th January 2020, this is considered to be a known event.
Am I Still Covered For Claims Related To This Event?
Important note: all medical claims related to natural disasters are covered automatically on all of our international policies, regardless of whether you purchased the natural disaster cover add-on.
- If you bought your policy before 12:00am (AEDT) on 13th January 2020, you will be covered for any claims that are related to this event, as long as you bought the natural disaster cover add-on.
- If you bought your policy after 12:00am (AEDT) on 13th January 2020, you will not be covered for any claims that are related to this event, even if you bought the natural disaster cover add-on.
- With the exception of medical costs, you will not be covered for any claims related to this event if you did not buy the natural disaster cover add-on, regardless of when you bought your policy.
Missile Attack in Iraq
On 8 January 2020, Iran launched missiles into Iraq over the busy commercial corridor in eastern Iraq. In response, some flights have diverted around Iraqi airspace and aviation authorities have began issuing NOTAMs prohibiting civil aviation from operating in Iraq, Iran, and over the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.
Am I covered for the Missile Attack in Iraq?
Our policies contain general exclusions for any claims arising out of war, civil war, invasion, insurrection, revolution, use of or threatened use of military power, usurpation of government or military power. This means we do not cover claims arising from these events (including diversions and delays), irrespective of when the event occurred and when it became publicly known.
