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

An armed conflict between the army and an armed non-state extremist group has been ongoing since 8 May 2021 in Maguindanao, Philippines. The conflict has affected major facilities and services. There are reports of some damaged houses (ERCC). De-escalation of the Palestine-Israel conflict is “an absolute must” said the UN Secretary-General on Wednesday, declaring that the mounting death toll, including children, was totally unacceptable (UN News). United Nations independent rights experts urged businesses in Myanmar to uphold their human rights responsibilities to halt grave human rights violations against its own people (UN News).

Health

Humanitarian needs in the Sahel continue to be on the rise due to the combined effect of increasingly violent conflicts, deep poverty, climate change, and unprecedented food insecurity and malnutrition (ERCC). In Réunion, France has reported 11 693 confirmed dengue cases for 2021, with the whole territory affected (ECDC). An outbreak in a group of individuals with signs and symptoms of a neurological syndrome of unknown cause has been detected in New Brunswick, Canada (ECDC).

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, New Zealand, and Australia.  The UNWTO and IATA Destination Tracker offers relevant information on a destination status. The Timeline of EU Member States Reopening Their Borders  offers a list of opened EU countries for travelers, and dates of warned opening.

As notable cases: The United States‘s FAA proposed a $10,500 fine against a JetBlue passenger who repeatedly ignored, and was abusive to, flight attendants who instructed him to wear a face mask (WaPo). About 40 towns in Japan have pulled out of arrangements to host Olympic athletes for pre-competition events this summer, citing concerns about medical capacity (WaPo). New Zealand may open its borders to vaccinated travelers before it has completed its own vaccine rollout, according to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (CNN). Singapore airport is closing its passenger terminal buildings to the general public for two weeks following a rising number of Covid-19 cases linked to the facility (CNN). Maldives has temporarily suspended entry of tourists traveling from South Asian countries from Thursday (CNN).

Globally, as of 13 May, Johns Hopkins University counts 160,540,001 COVID-19 cases and 3,333,781 deaths, and the WHO COVID-19 dashboard reports 159,949,065 cases and 3,322,439 deaths. 

As notable cases: Scientists in Britain are warning that there is mounting evidence that the coronavirus variant known as B.1.617 first identified in India, could be more transmissible than the B.1.1.7 variant (WaPo). More than 100 bodies have been found along India’s Ganges River in recent days, raising fears that covid-19 victims are being cast in the river as crematoriums are overwhelmed (WaPo). Taiwan reported 13 new local coronavirus cases on Thursday, just 24 hours after recording its largest daily spike in domestic cases (WaPo). Thailand acknowledged that nearly 3,000 prison inmates had been found to be infected, and that protective measures that were effective last year were not working well now (NYT). Cases of Covid-19 in England have halved since March pointing to the effectiveness of vaccination, according to the latest series study REACT-1, commissioned by the UK Department of Health (CNN).

Vaccination campaigns around the world continue. As of 12 May, Our World in Data reports 1.37 billion administered vaccine doses globally. The WHO COVID-19 dashboard reports over 1.26 billion administered vaccine doses.

As notable cases: Australia has reached a deal with Moderna to buy 25 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine (WaPo). The needles at Bran Castle in the Transylvania region of Romania won’t be drawing blood — instead, they’ll be administering a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine (NYT). Two states in India and the union territory of Delhi have suspended Covid-19 vaccinations for people aged 18 to 44 due to shortages (CNN).

Risk Levels

CDC COVID-19 Levels, last update on May 10

# Countries	Risk Level
139	Level 4: COVID-19 Very High (avoid all travel)
24	Level 3: COVID-19 High (avoid all non-essential travel)
35	Level Unknown: COVID-19 Unknown (avoid all non-essential travel)
17	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 May 12

# Countries	Risk Level
156	Level 4: Do Not Travel
39	Level 3: Reconsider Travel
16	Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
0	Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions

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.