Foreign secretary Dominic Raab said the spread of the coronavirus has led the government to move further from its advice against “all but essential” travel to China.
Raab said: “The safety and security of British people will always be our top priority. As such, we now advise British nationals in China to leave the country if they can, to minimise their risk of exposure to the virus.”
He said officials were working “around the clock" to evacuate British Nationals who want to leave Hubei Province, the most affected region.
British Airways has already suspended flights from Heathrow to Beijing and Shanghai, but services to Hong Kong continue.
