010418 – World Status Report
January 4, 2018
Avoid Nonessential Travel
U.S. Department of State
- Pakistan Travel Warning. The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against all non-essential travel to Pakistan.
- Honduras Travel Alert. The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens to postpone or cancel unnecessary travel to mainland Honduras due to ongoing political protests and the potential for violence.
Take Enhanced Precautions
CDC
- Hurricanes Irma and Maria in the Caribbean. Beginning on September 6, 2017, Hurricane Irma crossed the Caribbean, followed on September 16 by Hurricane Maria. These storms caused severe damage in a number of countries and territories, including Anguilla, Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Sint Maarten, and the US Virgin Islands. Potential visitors should postpone travel to severely affected areas because serious health and safety risks may be present and medical care may be limited or unavailable. Postponing travel to these areas would also prevent further straining already limited local resources. Many of these areas also remain at risk of Zika, so pregnant women should not travel to these areas.
- Measles advisory. Health officials in England and Greece have reported an outbreak of measles. CDC recommends that travelers to England and Greece protect themselves by making sure they are vaccinated against measles with the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine.
U.S. Department of State
- Haiti Travel Warning. The Department of State warns U.S. citizens to carefully consider the risks of traveling to Haiti due to its current security environment and lack of adequate medical facilities and response.
- Worldwide Caution. As part of the Department of State’s continuous efforts to provide U.S. citizens traveling abroad with information about safety and security events, DOS is updating the Worldwide Caution with information on the continuing threat of terrorist actions, political violence, and criminal activity against U.S. citizens and interests abroad.
United Nations
Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System
- AVA-18 Madagascar (129.6km/h) from 02 Jan 2018 18:00 UTC to 04 Jan 2018 12:00 UTC. Tropical Cyclone AVA-18 can have a medium humanitarian impact based on the Maximum sustained wind speed and the affected population and their vulnerability.
Lifted Risks
CDC
- Plague in Madagascar. In early October, World Health Organization and the Madagascar Ministry of Health responded to an unusual outbreak of plague pneumonia in widespread areas of Madagascar, including in heavily populated cities of Antananarivo (the capital city and its suburbs) and Toamasina. The outbreak has been contained. In late November 2017, the Madagascar Ministry of Health declared the urban outbreak of plague pneumonia had been contained. However, bubonic plague occurs nearly every year in Madagascar, so travelers to the area should continue to take precautions to protect their health.
Recommended Reading / Viewing
CDC
- 2018 Winter Olympics (PyeongChang 2018). The 2018 Winter Olympics will take place in PyeongChang, South Korea, from February 9 to February 25, 2018. The Paralympic Games are scheduled for March 9 to March 18, 2018. If you plan to travel to South Korea for the Olympics or Paralympics, follow the recommendations below to help you stay safe and healthy.
- Lunar New Year. The Year of the Dog begins on February 16, 2018, and many people will travel to Asia to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Destinations include Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Mauritius, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. If you plan to travel to Asia to visit friends or relatives or participate in the festivities, you can take some simple precautions to help you stay safe and healthy.
- Carnival and Mardi Gras. If you plan to travel outside the United States to celebrate Carnival, you can take some simple precautions to help you stay safe and healthy. Destinations include Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The risk information in this report is retrieved from U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and other professional sources as listed in the post. It provides general guidance for UT Dallas travelers. Please note the revision date (mmddyy) of this report, printed on the title of the post, and go to the direct sources listed for the most up-to-date information. The information in this report may change without prior notice.
