Should I cancel my trip to Italy over coronavirus fears?

Q I am due to travel to Orvieto in central Italy via Perugia tomorrow. Kaela D A Flights are still continuing from many UK airports to Italy, and the government has stopped well short of advising against travel to the European country worst affected by the coronavirus crisis. But note that Public Health England insists that anyone returning from Italy who develops a cough, a high temperature or shortness of breath within two weeks – even if those symptoms are mild – should self-isolate: “Stay indoors and avoid contact with other people.” You will be aware, of course, that the Italian government is taking some extraordinary measures to limit the spread of Covid-19. I daresay that one of several long-term changes to travel habits when this ghastly business is under control is that independent travellers like you may appreciate the merits of dealing direct with a hotel – making negotiations easier in unexpected circumstances, as well as keeping the transaction value between you and the hotelier rather than paying upwards of 15 per cent to a middle man. Coronavirus: British Airways cancels flights to northern Italy amid Foreign Office advice confusion With no obvious alternatives from Birmingham or East Midlands to Marseille, the obvious replacement airport in France is Nimes.