World Status Report
May 19, 2021
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
Following May attacks to aid workers in the Upper Nile in South Sudan, NGOs and UN Agencies have limited movements and suspended non-lifesaving activities in the area. Humanitarian personnel in Pibor were also forced to evacuate (ERCC). Six months into the conflict, the situation in Tigray, Ethiopia remains dire with over 5 million people in need of protection and emergency assistance (ERCC).
Natural Disasters
Severe weather has impacted various countries resulting in casualties, displacement and damage. Floods in Indonesia. Tropical Cyclone TAUKTAE in India. Floods and tornadoes in the United States. Floods in Slovakia. (ERCC).
Health
Several states in India are facing a shortage of an antifungal drug used to treat Black Fungus, or Mucormycosis, a disease Indian Health officials have increasingly been detecting among patients who have recovered from Covid-19 (CNN).
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 European Union will begin to ease travel restrictions to the bloc, with the EU Council agreeing on measures to allow fully vaccinated foreign visitors in (CNN). Bars, shops and cultural spaces across France have reopened their doors as the country starts lifting restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of coronavirus (BBC). The European Union Council is set to hold a meeting today, May 19, and update the list of the epidemiologically safe third countries, which in recent weeks have registered lower rates of COVID-19, as well as countries with high rates of vaccinated citizens against COVID-19 (Schengenvisainfo).
Globally, as of 19 May, Johns Hopkins University counts 164,314,577 COVID-19 cases and 3,406,720 deaths, and the WHO COVID-19 dashboard reports as of 18 May 163,312,429 cases and 3,386,825 deaths.
As notable cases: Taiwan‘s Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced tightened Covid-19 restrictions on Wednesday after the island reported 275 new cases (CNN). Cases in France have continued to drop since the peak of its third Covid-19 wave in late April (CNN). Reported Covid-19 cases worldwide declined for the third week in a row, although the numbers confirmed are still at some of the highest levels over the course of the pandemic, according to the World Health Organization (CNN). India reported 4,529 new Covid-19 related fatalities Wednesday morning, the highest daily death toll the country has seen since the start of the pandemic (CNN). Thailand reported its highest number of Covid-19 deaths in a single day Tuesday (CNN).
Vaccination campaigns around the world continue. As of 18 May, Our World in Data reports 1.53 billion administered vaccine doses globally. The WHO COVID-19 dashboard reports over 1.4 billion administered vaccine doses.
As notable cases: While many African nations are still struggling to get enough Covid-19 vaccines to protect their populations, those that have managed to shore up doses are struggling to administer them before they expire (CNN). Fear over fresh Covid-19 outbreaks sees China vaccinate 100 million people in 9 days (CNN).
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.
