As more coronavirus infections are being reported, what can people do if their plans are affected by the outbreak?

People are being advised to make sure they have travel insurance and to ensure they have Travel Disruption Cover.

What is Travel Disruption Cover?

Travel Disruption Cover covers events such as fire, flood, earthquake, explosion, tsunami, landslide, avalanche, hurricane, storm, tornado, volcanic activity or medical epidemic/outbreak.

If you were forced to stay in a resort or country because of a medical epidemic this additional option would cover any unrecoverable accommodation costs.

If you are set to travel to a coronavirus-affected area, can you get your money back?

Ciaran Mulligan, managing director of Blue Insurance, says yes - but there are conditions.

"If you have a travel insurance policy and you have a benefit on the policy that gives you Government Travel Advice - or you have Travel Disruption Cover - in the event that the Department of Foreign Affairs advises [against] all but essential travel to a specific area, region or country then your policy will cover you for cancellation.

"Until the time that the Department of Foreign Affairs advises against all but essential travel, then you are not covered by any insurance policy".

"But for example in relation to Tenerife and the situation with the H10 Hotel, they're still not advising not to travel to a specific area or region.

"So until a point that they do declare that, then your insurance will pay out at that point".

If you have no travel insurance?

There is no cover.

Mr Mulligan says: "If you've an underlying condition - or you are elderly - and you're concerned about it, if you don't have insurance or the Department of Foreign Affairs hasn't advised against travel to a certain region and you're concerned about going, then you really want to be getting on to your travel agent or you're accommodation or airline provider and moving that to another location if that's how you feel".

"With your airline, if you're due to go... you'll probably be able to move your flight and pay the additional change fee.

"Same with accommodation provider - Booking.com or whoever you've used".

What is not covered?

Travel Disruption Cover is an optional cover on travel insurance - but it would not cover places where the virus is already present.

"If it's already declared in a specific area or country, then that will be excluded."

"You could take it out if you're going to Tenerife because it's only in one hotel."

"But provided you take it out before it actually arrives into a specific area or region, then you would be covered for the policy".

"Within 14 days of your departure, if the Department of Foreign Affairs advises against travel to a certain region, then that element of the policy will pay out".