World Status Report

This report intends to give the UTD Community a snapshot of international risks, and other issues as reported by the linked official sources from the U.S. and other countries.

Please note the publication date of this report, and go to the direct sources linked for the most up-to-date information.  The information in this report may change without prior notice.

Security

There are regional flight disruptions in Trinidad and Tobago as a result of volcanic ash connected to volcanic activity on the island of St Vincent, further disruptions cannot be ruled out (GOV.UK)

Natural Disasters

The explosive activity of La Soufriere volcano in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has been continuing for the past 24 hours and the alert level stands at red. Evacuation operations continue (ERCC). Severe weather has caused landslides and flooding in central Colombia, impacting over 1,000 people, damaging roads and isolating several communities (ERCC).

Health

The humanitarian crisis situation in the Grand Sud, Madagascar is deteriorating.  Over one million people are facing severe food insecurity (ERCC).

COVID-19

International preventative measures against COVID-19, including entry restrictions and in-country mobility remain very fluid, and can be imposed without prior notice. Details for each country can be found in the travel advisories issued by the governments of the United States, Canada, the UK, and Australia. 

As notable cases: Turkey announced a partial lockdown over the first two weeks of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan would be put into place from Wednesday (CNN). Oman imposes nighttime curfew during Ramadan due to soaring virus cases (WaPo). The EU is ready to complete the necessary technical, infrastructural work for the Digital Green Certificates by the end of June (Schengenvisainfo).

Globally, as of 14 April, Johns Hopkins University counts 137,559,799 COVID-19 cases and 2,962,066 deaths, and the WHO COVID-19 dashboard reports 136,739,552 cases and 2,947,244 deaths. 

As notable cases: Globally, new COVID-19 cases rose for a seventh consecutive week, with over 4.5 million new cases reported in the last week.  The largest increases were reported by India, the United States, Brazil, Turkey, and France (WHO). India reported 184,372 new cases on Wednesday, the highest single-day figure since the beginning of the pandemic (CNN).  South Korea warns of possible fourth wave after reporting 731 new cases (SCMP). Japan‘s Osaka prefecture today reported a record high total, with an outbreak fueled by the B117 SARS-CoV-2 variant (Reuters).  COVID-19 is increasingly affecting younger people in Brazil, hospital data shows that last month the majority in ICUs were 40 or younger (Reuters).

Vaccination campaigns around the world continue.  As of 13 April, Our World in Data reports over 825 million administered vaccine doses globally. The WHO COVID-19 dashboard as of 13 April reports over 732 million administered vaccine doses.

As notable cases: A major UK trial to examine whether different coronavirus vaccines can safely be used for two-dose regimens has now been expanded to include the Moderna and Novavax vaccines, with results expected to be reported in a matter of months (CNN). Mexico announced the development of the Mexican-made Covid-19 vaccine named “Patria”, and will start human trials in April (CNN). China announced a vaccine candidate using mRNA technology could be ready for late-stage clinical trials as early as May (WaPo). Governments around the world struggle to maintain immunization momentum as pauses are made on two vaccines due to extremely rare but severe side effects (WaPo).

Risk Levels

Countries risk levels remain high as reported by the CDC and the U.S. Department of State.

CDC COVID-19 Levels, last update on April 12

# Countries	Risk Level
142	Level 4: COVID-19 Very High (avoid all travel)
19	Level 3: COVID-19 High (avoid all non-essential travel)
36	Level Unknown: COVID-19 Unknown (avoid all non-essential travel)
18	Level 2: COVID-19 Moderate (travelers at increased risk for severe illness, avoid all non-essential travel)
30	Level 1: COVID-19 Low (take steps to mitigate risks before, during, and after travel)

U.S. Department of State Levels, last update on April 12

# Countries	Risk Level
33	Level 4: Do Not Travel
153	Level 3: Reconsider Travel
22	Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
3	Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions

Please note the revision date (mmddyy) of this report, printed on the title of the post, and go to the direct sources linked for the most up-to-date information.  The information in this report may change without prior notice.