International Education > Archive > Category: World Status Report

021219 – World Status Report

February 12, 2019

When traveling on behalf of UT Dallas, set up your institutional safety net and prepare for an emergency as a standard step of all your travels.  Find more information in the Traveler Best Practices webpage.

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.

Avoid Nonessential Travel

Conflict and Terrorism

  • Kenya – GC.CA. Credible information indicates that westerners may be targeted by extremists in Nairobi, Naivasha, Nanyuki and coastal areas of Kenya.
  • Nigeria – U.S. Department of State. Reconsider travel to Nigeria due to elections, crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and piracy. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory.
  • Somalia – GOV.AU. The security situation in Somalia is highly volatile and there is an ongoing very high threat of terrorist attack. There have been a large number of significant attacks in 2018. Terrorist attacks are expected to continue. If you are in Somalia, we strongly urge you to leave if it is safe to do so.

Crime and Social Unrest

  • Mozambique – U.S. Department of State. Reconsider travel to some northern districts in Cabo Delgado Province due to violent extremism.  Exercise increased caution in Maputo due to crime. Read the entire Travel Advisory.
  • Venezuela – GC.CA. Avoid all travel to Venezuela due to the significant level of violent crime, the unstable political and economic situations and the decline in basic living conditions, including shortages of medication, food staples, gasoline and water.
  • Cameroon – GOV.UK. The FCO now advise against all but essential travel to Limbe in Fako division (South West region) and the town of Garoua in North region, and against all travel to North West region and the rest of South West region.

Entry and exit requirements

  • Gaza – GOV.AU– Do not travel to Gaza. It is dangerous. Border crossings from Egypt and Israel into Gaza can close at short notice and without warning. If you enter Gaza you may not be able to leave for weeks or months. The ability of the Australian Government to help when borders are closed is extremely limited.

Natural Disasters and Climate

  • Brazil – GC.CA. A mining dam broke in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais on January 25, 2019, near Brumadinho, located 60 km from Belo Horizonte‎. Some areas have been evacuated. There are many casualties. The situation remains fluid and may change without notice. Nearby communities could be affected by contaminated mud. Local authorities also have concerns about nearby water sources. Avoid flooded areas and their surroundings. Don’t consume tap water until the situation is resolved. Follow the advice of local authorities, including any evacuation order. Contact your airline or tour operator to determine if the situation will disrupt your travel plans and monitor local media.
  • Chile – GC.CA. Several wildfires are burning in the southern regions of Chile. Local authorities have declared a state of emergency for La Araucanía, Biobío, Los Ríos. There could be significant disruptions to the essential services like transportation, power distribution, water and food supply, telecommunications networks and emergency services. If you’re travelling to affected areas comply with evacuation orders, contact your airline or tour operator to determine if the situation will disrupt your travel plans. Monitor local news and weather reports and follow the instructions of local authorities.

Take Enhanced Precautions

Conflict and Terrorism

  • Egypt – U.S. Department of State – Exercise increased caution in Egypt due to terrorism. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory.
  • Tunisia – GC.CA. There is a threat of terrorism. Terrorist attacks have occurred throughout Tunisia. Since 2015, tourist resorts and attractions, as well as Tunisian military and state institutions have been targeted, and further attacks cannot be ruled out. Targets could include government buildings, including schools, places of worship, airports and other transportation hubs and networks, public areas such as tourist attractions, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, shopping centres, markets, hotels and other sites frequented by foreigners, sports events, and cultural festivals. Always be aware of your surroundings when in public places.

Crime and Social Unrest

  • Brazil – U.S. Department of State. Exercise increased caution in Brazil due to crime. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory.
  • Mozambique – GC.CA. A curfew is in effect from dusk to dawn in Mocímboa da Praia. Follow curfew orders.

Demonstrations

  • Albania – GOV.UK. Opposition parties have announced their intention to hold a major demonstration in central Tirana on 16 February 2019; you should check the local media for the latest information, remain vigilant and avoid any demonstrations.
  • Haiti – GC.CA. Violent protests have been taking place across the country since February 7, 2019. Burning barricades are disrupting traffic in the main streets of Port-au-Prince. Clashes have resulted in casualties. Limit your movements, avoid crossing road blockades, even if they appear unattended. Plan to have adequate water and food supplies. Contact your airline or tour operator to determine if the situation will disrupt your travel plans.
  • Moldova – GOV.UK. You should be alert to the possibility of political protests and demonstrations especially with the elections taking place on 24 February; while these are generally peaceful, the situation could quickly change; you should avoid large crowds, remain vigilant and follow local security advice.
  • Nigeria – GOV.AU. Presidential elections will be held on 16 February. Political gatherings and demonstrations are becoming increasingly frequent in major Nigerian cities. Avoid rallies, demonstrations and large crowds as they could turn violent. Monitor local media for news of unrest. Telecommunications networks may be disrupted in the event of civil unrest or crisis.
  • Belgium – GOV.UK. A number of trade unions have called for a national strike in all sectors starting at 10pm on Tuesday 12 February and ending at 10pm on Wednesday 13 February; the strike is likely to cause disruption to public services and transport; you should check with your transport operator before travel, and follow local news providers for further information.

Natural Disasters and Climate

  • Puerto Rico – GC.CA. Hurricanes usually occur from mid-May to the end of November. During this period, even small tropical storms can quickly develop into major hurricanes. These severe storms can put you at risk and hamper the provision of essential services. If you decide to travel to a coastal area during the hurricane season know that you expose yourself to serious safety risks, be prepared to change your travel plans on short notice, including cutting short or cancelling your trip, stay informed of the latest regional weather forecasts. Carry emergency contact information for your airline or tour operator and follow the advice and instructions of local authorities.
  • United States – GC.CA. Hurricanes usually occur from mid-May to the end of November. During this period, even small tropical storms can quickly develop into major hurricanes. These severe storms can put you at risk and hamper the provision of essential services. If you decide to travel to a coastal area during the hurricane season know that you expose yourself to serious safety risks, be prepared to change your travel plans on short notice, including cutting short or cancelling your trip, stay informed of the latest regional weather forecasts. Carry emergency contact information for your airline or tour operator and follow the advice and instructions of local authorities.
  • Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, South Africa, Zimbabwe – GDACS. The drought has lasted for 3 months. Drought indicators suggest anomalies typical of severe to extreme events.
  • Australia – GOV.UK. There are currently a number of serious bush fires in Tasmania and Victoria, causing extensive damage and risk to life, and which are also reducing air quality in certain locations which could provoke respiratory conditions. Follow the latest warnings and advice from the Tasmania Fire Service and Victoria Emergency @TasFireService and @vicemergency on Twitter.
  • China, India, Myanmar, Nepal – GDACS. The drought has lasted for 7 months. Drought indicators suggest anomalies typical of severe to extreme events.
  • Mauritius – GDACS. From 06/02/2019 to 11/02/2019, a Tropical Storm (maximum wind speed of 222 km/h) GELENA-19 was active in SWIndian.
  • New Zealand – GOV.UK. Due to an ongoing serious fire in the Nelson Tasman region on 6 February 2019, a local civil defence emergency has been declared by the National Crisis Management Centre. If you’re in the affected area, you should follow the advice of the Nelson Tasman Civil Defence.
  • Peru – GDACS. The drought has lasted for 2 months. Drought indicators suggest anomalies typical of severe to extreme events.

Health

  • Argentina – ECDC. Andes Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome. As of 31 January 2019 and since the beginning of the outbreak in November 2018, 31 confirmed Andes hantavirus cases, including 11 deaths (CFR: 35.5%), have been reported in Epuyén.
  • Brazil – GOV.AU. There’s an outbreak of measles in Brazil. Make sure your vaccinations are up-to-date before you travel.
  • Europe (Multistate) – ECDC. Influenza. From 28 January – 3 February 2019, influenza activity continued to increase in the European Region.
  • Europe (Multistate) – ECDC. Since the previous Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) published on 11 January 2019, updates have been provided for 20 EU/EFTA countries: Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Switzerland. In 2019, one death was reported in the EU (Romania). Relevant updates outside EU/EFTA countries are provided for Georgia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Israel, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine, the WHO Region of the Americas and the US.
  • Nigeria – CDC. Nigerian health officials have declared an outbreak of Lassa fever in Nigeria. Travelers to Nigeria should avoid contact with rats, especially rat urine and feces, and keep their accommodations or campsites clean.
  • Multicountry – ECDC. Salmonella Poona in infant products. Luxembourg has reported one case of S. Poona infection in January 2019 in an infant who had consumed the same brand of infant formula ordered from the Internet. The isolate is 100% identical to the French isolate.
  • Multistate – ECDC. MERS-CoV. Nineteen MERS-CoV cases were reported in Saudi Arabia (14) and Oman (5) in January, of which six were female and 13 were male. There were five deaths in Saudi Arabia (3) and Oman (2). In Saudi Arabia, 11 cases were primary cases and three were household contacts. Of the primary cases, two reported camel contact.
  • Multistate (World) – ECDC. Poliomyelitis. Since the CDTR published on 5 January 2019, six new cases of wild poliovirus type 1 have been reported in Pakistan (5) and Afghanistan (1). Four new cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) have also been reported globally in Niger (2) and Nigeria (2). All these cases were cVDPV type 2 (cVDPV2).

Other

  • Bangladesh – GOV.UK. Bishwa Ijtema, the world’s second largest congregation of Muslims, will be held from 15 to 17 February beside the Turag River in Tongi; temporary disruption to daily life in and around Dhaka may occur; if you’re travelling through Dhaka International Airport during this time, you should allow extra time for your journey due to expected heavy traffic and additional security measures.

Ebola News

  • Democratic Republic of the Congo – ECDC. Ebola. Since the previous CDTR, the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported 32 additional cases. As of 6 February 2019, according to the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, there have been 791 Ebola virus disease cases (737 confirmed, 54 probable), including 492 deaths (438 in confirmed and 54 in probable cases), since the beginning of the outbreak. As of 31 January 2019, according to the WHO Disease outbreak news, 65 healthcare workers have been infected to date.
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo – WHO. The Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues with relatively high numbers of cases reported in recent weeks (Figure 1), and some encouraging signs. Katwa and Butembo health zones remain the epicentres of the outbreak, reporting 71% of cases in the last three weeks, with smaller clusters continuing to occur concurrently across a geographically dispersed area.

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.