China trip turns into ‘holiday from hell’

A TOWNSVILLE make-up artist is living the holiday from hell as the world is in the grips of a health epidemic.

Cassandra Mcconnell left Australia four days ago with husband Andy Robinson for their holiday in China.

The country has been on high alert after the deadly Coronavirus was detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan on New Year’s Eve.

Since then, the virus has killed more than 100 people in China, with thousands more infected around the world.

Instagram stories show Ms Mcconnell and Mr Robinson in Beijing after catching the bullet train from Shanghai.

The couple are seen in face masks alongside members of the general public and Chinese officials.

As the couple checked into their accommodation in Beijing, Ms Mcconnell scans the hotel and shows an eerily empty building and sitting room.

It was a similar situation at Tiananmen Square with only a couple of people all wearing surgical masks visiting the famous site.

On her Instagram, Ms Mcconnell wrote: “We have been getting lots of messages about our health and wellbeing; basically the story is everything is closed.”

Ms Mcconnell said the couple were trying to return home or to head to Hong Kong as “everyone is scared and people are dying”.

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Marise Payne said health authorities were considering how they could minimise “any possibility of contracting coronavirus” if an evacuation of hundreds of stranded Australians took place.