Paraguay restricts travelers from China amid virus outbreak

Landlocked Paraguay said on Friday that it had suspended indefinitely issuance of visas to people traveling from China because of the coronavirus outbreak centered in the city of Wuhan, Hubei province. The Paraguayan Foreign Ministry announced the measure in a statement even as Hubei reported 45 new deaths, bringing the total to 249.

A number of countries in Central America have imposed travel restrictions to try to keep out the virus, including barring travelers who have recently visited China. Paraguay has not so far registered any confirmed cases of coronavirus, though is doing tests on one man who visited a region near Wuhan. The results of the analysis are expected next week, the Ministry of Health has said.

The United States also declared a public health emergency on Friday and announced the extraordinary step of barring entry to foreign nationals who have traveled to China.