AS it becomes increasingly likely that cases of coronavirus across the UK increase, Britons are looking to their travel insurance policies to work out whether they are covered for their holidays.

The current number of cases in the UK stand at 40, with a number of confirmed Covid-19 patients recently returning from largely-affected Northern Italy - elsewhere countries are taking measures to prevent the spread of the disease.

But will your travel insurance pay out if you're quarantined, or if you travel to a restricted country? We've asked insurance firm, tifgroup, for what to look out for when choosing to go abroad.

The Northern Echo:

Are you travelling to an affected country?

If not, you're covered to travel under the normal terms and conditions of the policy, which should pay out as usual.

But if the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has advised "against all travel" some policies will cover you for cancellation or curtailment as a result of the advise, provided that the policy was bought before new advice was issued. 

Has the government advised against "all but essential travel"?

If the FCO has offered this advice up for a country that you're going to, then your insurance policy will most likely exclude travelling against official advice. Customers who continue on their trip after the FCO has issued this warning will not be covered. 

Does the country have an area on "lockdown"?

Provided the FCO hasn't advised against travel to your destination, cover will remain in place as per before. However, travellers wanting to cancel due to fears of coronavirus will most likely not be allowed to - fear of epidemic or pandemic is classed as disinclination to travel, which is not normally covered in travel insurance policies.

Have you got any health issues?

Some insurance policies will look sympathetically at trips cancelled where it has been deemed "medically necessary" - but tifgroup said travellers should contact their travel operator to try and change their trip in the first instance. All health conditions need to be declared before travel.

What if you're quarantined?

All insurance policies will cover emergency medical expenses and repatriation costs if treatment is needed as a result of coronavirus. But if you're found to travel to known affected areas (lockdown) then this may invalidate whatever cover you had.

Policies may not cover other costs incurred if travellers are quarantined abroad. But policies may be extended if you are unable to return on the scheduled date back because of quarantine measures. 

What the Prime Minister is saying about coronavirus so far

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said it is "highly likely" the UK will see a growing number of coronavirus cases, but stressed that "for the vast majority of people in this country we should be going about our business as usual".