 During the height of the fear of a pandemic , some countries initiated or threatened to initiate quarantines of foreign visitors suspected of having or being in contact with others who may have been infected . In May 2009 , the Chinese government confined 21 U.S. students and three teachers to their hotel rooms . As a result , the US State Department issued a travel alert about China 's anti @-@ flu measures and warned travellers against travelling to China if ill . In Hong Kong , an entire hotel was quarantined with 240 guests ; Australia ordered a cruise ship with 2 @,@ 000 passengers to stay at sea because of a swine flu threat . Egyptian Muslims who went on the annual pilgrimage to Mecca risked being quarantined upon their return . Russia and Taiwan said they would quarantine visitors with fevers who come from areas where the flu was present . Japan quarantined 47 airline passengers in a hotel for a week in mid @-@ May , then in mid @-@ June India suggested pre @-@ screening " outbound " passengers from countries thought to have a high rate of infection . 
