Help! Do I cancel surprise trip?

[hoolydooly]

Sorry in advance for another coronavirus thread! Struggling with a decision and wondering if people can help me decide...

So, one week from now we are due to go on a trip to Japan, booked last September. DH and I lived there many moons ago and I booked this as a surprise - a huge surprise as we're more "camping in Cornwall" types rather than big international jetsetters! Going with 4 children in tow (youngest age 5).

Enter coronavirus. Japan has 20 cases so far. They are asking Japanese nationals they have repatriated to self-quarantine, rather than imposing quarantine as we have in the UK. Japan gets huge numbers of Chinese tourists, and has only restricted entry to those from Hubei province. According to this map (gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6) there are 5k cases elsewhere in China.

If we do go, we will be in Tokyo for a few days and will likely come into contact with a lot of travellers from China. I want to stress I am in no way being racist here (I have seen accusations of racism being bandied about on other threads). It's just a fact that there are more cases in China right now, so contact with Chinese travellers poses more of a risk.

So...now I am worried. I can't discuss with DH as he doesn't know about the trip! I really don't want to cancel. We'd get no money back, and it cost a fortune! But the thought of something happening to our children (or us) is giving me pause for thought. I suffer from health anxiety so perhaps I am worrying too much.

What do you think?

YABU = you're being silly, go and enjoy yourself
YANBU = not worth the risk - cancel your trip

If IABU, please be gentle! ;-)

I would not go. Because im a worrier. What if they cancelled all flights? how do you get home?

Hope you have good travel insurance?

I would absolutely tell hubby now and make a decision together. i hate surprises though

The trip is only 11 days long, 9-20 Feb. Surely it is very unlikely that ALL flights would be cancelled?! (Unless I am being naiive?)

Why do people think that hand gel is any protection against a virus????? By all means, wash your hands - might stop you picking up something else!

@katy1213 I agree, it seems that hand gel is not as good as soap and water. A lot of experts are also saying face masks are not very effective either - I remember when I lived in Japan the masks were more to stop the wearer spreading germs rather than catching them. Can't imagine they will be very effective on kids either.

The mask concept is hilarious.

Where do you think they are made?

Best hope you don't get these

Hand gel is very effective against viruses but ONLY if it is 60%alcohol or more. So read the ingredients list carefully.

Definitely go, as you said, you have health anxiety - I wouldn't consider going to Japan anymore dangerous than staying in the UK.
(As you have been to Japan before - as have I - you know how organised and competent things are run out there). The fact you can trust people to self-quarantine, I wouldn't ever trust a British person to do that! (Not Brit bashing, I couldn't live in Japanese culture as I am too wayward too!)

I do think your idea of surprising him at the airport is crap, I thought the reason you didn't want to reveal the surprise to him was because you had an elaborate plan. Can't you tell him now? He could help you with your anxiety - and the packing!

I hope you do go OP. I understand your worry though...I think I’d be the same, especially with young children. It sounds like you’ve put a lot of effort in to this lovely surprise for your DH! I hope it all works out and you have an amazing time!!

If as others have said you have no underlying health issues and good travel insurance then I’d go .
I’m still plucking up the courage to go to Japan, we really want to but it’s so far out of my comfort zone so just need a push!
Hope you have a great time of you go and let us know how the surprise goes

Go!! You know Japan and know it's way cleaner and more hygienic than China, the chances are miniscule anyway and you're in good health (and I'm a bit of a fretter!) Have a great time

You can get anti viral hand foam and spray. Boots sell it (if they have any stock). Thorough hand washing is the best protection though - using soap and rubbing for 2 minutes.

Ooh sorry, did not see these last few replies!

So....new advice today is that anyone returning from certain countries, including Japan, should seek advice if they fall ill. Which seems a bit of an over-reaction. Japan was static at 22 cases for several days before this cruise ship docked there and was quarantined!

Does this change the mind of anyone who said: GO!
(He is still blissfully unaware, by the way!)

--------
From the BBC News website:

New Department of Health guidance urges anyone who recently arrived in the UK from mainland China or eight other places to seek help if they are ill.

They are being advised to self-isolate if they have come back from countries including Thailand and Japan.

The countries and territories named by the DoH are:

Thailand
Japan
Republic of Korea
Taiwan
Singapore
Malaysia
Hong Kong
Macau
Anyone returning in the past 14 days from those places, or from mainland China, who has symptoms like a cough, fever, or shortness of breath should stay indoors and call the NHS 111 service.

@fastliving
I do think your idea of surprising him at the airport is crap, I thought the reason you didn't want to reveal the surprise to him was because you had an elaborate plan.

Thanks! The plan is a bit more elaborate than I said here, with lots of clues to the destination with bits and bobs from our time in Japan, but I didn't want to bore anyone here with the minutiae!

That's weird, that isn't actually what the FCO page for Japan says. www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/japan/health#coronavirus

The general advice they give doesn't suggest you can't travel, nor isolation of healthy people returning. If you're worried then you could try to delay the flights for 6 months / a year.

Ah, I found the relevant paragraph. From here click through to the public section, but worth you reading all of it: www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-advice-novel-coronavirus
Some rather important info was missing, useless journalism:
"Based on the scientific advice ofSAGEthe UK Chief Medical Officers are advising anyone who has travelled to the UK from mainland China, Thailand, Japan, Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia or Macau in the last 14 days and is experiencing cough or fever or shortness of breath, to stay indoors and call NHS 111, even if symptoms are mild."

This is a tricky one but yes I'd still go. I'd be more worried about flights back being cancelled etc than actually getting the virus. I used to live in Japan too and I can well believe the authorities will be on top of it very efficiently.

I’d still go. That BBC article is a strange blend of bad journalism and common sense.

When are you due to go?

The other thing to consider is whether the things you want to go and do will be available. As far as I'm aware, HK has closed all schools and universities until March. The advice now is that all non-essential gatherings and events in HK should be postponed. Will tourist attractions start to close soon? Who knows.

I think you said you were going for a particular event? It might be worth checking whether that's still going ahead in case that influences your decision.

Do not surprise him

Japan’s cases are all on a ship!

I’d definitely still go.

OP you are being VVVVVVVVV U to have made me read all the way through this thread only to discover you STILL have not told us what the full reveal plan is!!

Check Foreign Office guidance. If they say don't go, you should be able to claim on your travel insurance. Otherwise just go.

I'd still follow the official guidance, which for the time being, is to go.

Aghh how frustrating. Erm I'd be panicking and not wanting to go. But id be massively disappointed not to go. I am not very cultured and I don't know how similar Japan is to China. Id be very cautious of eating food etc prepared elsewear. It's not exactly all over Japan though is it. I have seen some disgusting things this week and some of the things they eat it it's true, no wonder they get sick! I don't honestly know what I would do in this situation x

The reports on Friday were Japan has more cases outside of China than any other country are correct HOWEVER there is context to the figures. The vast majority of cases have come off the cruise ship and the passengers caught it from a couple who embarked in HK and disembarked before the ship reached Japan. The virus was brought onto the ship outside of Japan and cases cannot really be tallied as numbers affected in Japan. Likewise for most of the rest who have been evacuated on 3 and soon to be 4 rescue flights from Wuhan. There are two cases that i’m aware of which cause me any sort of concern - a bus driver was driving a group of Chinese tourists around and contracted the virus but before he was aware he passed it on to a tour guide he subsequently worked with who had themselves not been to or been in contact with anyone from China. You have to be really careful to look through media reports and generally look at a couple of different sources to get all the facts.

Japan seems to be bring lumped in with Mainland China in some reports and it simply isn’t the case.