Traveling soon? Here’s how uncertainty around the novel coronavirus might affect you.

On the front lines of the travel world, the headlines are dominated by news of the spread of the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, the illness it causes.

Alaska travelers don’t have to go far before they are in the shadow of the virus. Whether it’s Seattle (102 coronavirus cases in Washington state as of Saturday, largely concentrated near Seattle) or Los Angeles (14 cases in Los Angeles County).

There are good resources from public health professionals like the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how best to protect yourself, whether you’re at home or on the road. The No. 1 tip is to wash your hands with soap and water all the time. If you’re traveling, read up on the basics and have those disinfectant wipes handy.

There are several big moves that can affect your travel plans going forward. The first is an honest risk assessment of your own ability to travel. Talk to your health care provider in advance of your trip, especially if you’re sick, over 65 or have existing health issues.

[Your questions about the new coronavirus, answered]

[Alaska prepares to stretch coronavirus test kits to meet demand]

Another big factor is travel restrictions put in place by governments. The U.S. government has a Level 4 travel advisory for China. Don’t travel there. If you do, you may be subject to a 14-day quarantine when you come back.

In Italy, the U.S. government has a Level 4 “do not travel” warning across the northern tier of Italy in the states of Lombardy and Veneto, which includes Milan and Venice. The rest of Italy is under a Level 3 warning, which urges travelers to reconsider travel. For its part, Italy has canceled classes at all schools and universities, in addition to canceling all sporting events.

South Korea also is under a Level 3 “reconsider travel” warning. The area around the city of Daegu, in the southeast part of the country, is under a Level 4 “do not travel” advisory because of an outbreak of COVID-19.

The next big development that can affect your travel is airline cancellations. Ever since the COVID-19 outbreak, airlines have been pulling back from service to China. Earlier this week, United Airlines announced it would be cutting its international service by 20% and its domestic flights by 10%.

Delta, in addition to cutting its flights to China and Milan, is reducing its flights to Seoul. American and United have stopped their flights to Korea.

It’s not just U.S. carriers that are canceling flights. Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific has parked half of its fleet — 120 planes — because of plummeting demand.

Singapore Airlines recently announced schedule reductions, including its Seattle-Singapore nonstop — from five weekly flights to four beginning in mid-May.

Alaska Airlines hasn’t announced plans to reduce flights, but it is offering really cheap fares, including $98 one-way tickets from Anchorage to Los Angeles and to Chicago in April and May. The sale was set to expire March 7, but I’ll bet there will be more price-cutting.

In announcing the fare sale, Alaska Air also highlighted its change and cancellation fee waiver. Additionally, the airline described new cleaning procedures on its flights. In the message, Alaska Airlines encourages travelers to bring their own hand sanitizer and anti-bacterial wipes for armrests and tray tables.

United, Delta and American also are waiving their change fees for most tickets. This does not mean you will get a refund. Airlines are only issuing credits that can be used within one year. United is allowing one change — no cancellation waiver.

Singapore Airlines announced its own deep-clean regimen because of the COVID-19 outbreak. The airline now uses a strong disinfectant to clean tray tables, windows and seat-back TV screens. Planes that arrive from China are fogged, which takes up to two hours. The turnaround time for Singapore’s planes has gone from 70 minutes to almost three hours.

More virus-related problems are cropping up for cruise ships.

Two of Princess Cruises’ ships, the Diamond Princess and the Grand Princess, had passengers who tested positive for COVID-19. The Diamond Princess still is quarantined in Yokohama, Japan. The Grand Princess is floating offshore from San Francisco while tests are being done on passengers returning from Hawaii. A third ship from Holland America, the Westerdam, is on its way to Juneau after passengers disembarked in Cambodia. There were no infected passengers or crew, but the ship was turned away from several ports in Southeast Asia. The ship will remain docked with only the crew aboard until the Alaska cruise season starts in May.

Do you have travel insurance? I do, for a wide variety of reasons. Check with your insurance company to determine your coverage, if any, for claims related to COVID-19. Travel insurance plans vary widely, but most will not cover a claim if you decide not to travel at the last minute. There are, however, much more expensive insurance policies that will cover you if you cancel for any reason whatsoever.

It’s a challenging time for travelers, for public health officials and for travel companies. I’m monitoring CDC bulletins and the news as I prepare for my own trips. There’s a lot of information on the progression of the virus — but there’s still a lot we don’t know. It’s a problem.

Now go wash your hands.