World Status Report

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

More health and security information 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, and the CDC, ECDC, and WHO sites. Not all advise in these sites will apply to US travelers.

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

• Mozambique. According to media reports, non-state armed groups (NSAG) have crossed into Niassa from the neighbouring province of Cabo Delgado in late November. The group vandalised property and infrastructure in two villages, looted medicines from a local health and food post, set fire to houses and killed at least one police officer. Villages close to the Niassa/Cabo Delgado border were also attacked (ERCC).
• Burkina Faso. Following the violent attack by Non-State Armed Groups in Foube on 21 November, affecting two humanitarian workers and several patients of a health centre, on 30 November, authorities have registered over 30,000 new internally displaced people (IDP) from the area, but this number is bound to increase (ERCC).
• World. A total of 274 million people worldwide will need emergency aid and protection in 2022, a 17 per cent increase compared to last year, UN humanitarians said on Thursday (UN News).
• Israel, Palestine. With violence continuing daily throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, urged the Security Council on Tuesday to adopt a more coordinated approach to the region noting that “recent developments on the ground are worrying”, pointing out the situation in the West Bank and Gaza and the challenges faced by the Palestinian Authority (UN News).
• Congo (DRC). UNHCR spokesperson Boris Cheshirkov cited local authorities in saying that 26 people were killed on Sunday at Ndjala site in the Drodro health zone in Ituri province. “Ten women and nine children were among the dead and 11 people were wounded. The attackers used guns, machetes and knives”, he told journalists at the UN in Geneva (UN News).
• Guatemala. A U.S. State Department official on Wednesday expressed concern over reporters, corruption fighters and activists who have recently come under fire from the government (Reuters).
• Ukraine. The Kremlin said on Thursday that the probability of a new conflict in eastern Ukraine remained high (Reuters). The United States urged Russia on Wednesday to pull back its troops from the Ukrainian border (Reuters). NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Russia not to use force against neighbour Ukraine on Wednesday (Reuters).
• Sudan. Security forces fired tear gas at anti-coup protesters in the Sudanese capital on Tuesday, as tens of thousands marched in the latest demonstrations against a military takeover that took place last month (ABC News).
• Pakistan. A devastating suicide blast struck a mosque in the strife-torn tribal region of Pakistan Friday, killing at least 51 people and wounding more than 100 others, local officials said (CNN).
• Martinique. Police reinforcements arrived in the French Caribbean territory of Martinique on Tuesday to restore order after unrest that erupted over COVID-19 measures, in particular the mandatory vaccination of healthcare workers, a government minister said (Reuters).

Natural Disasters

• Canada. Additional flooding and landslides caused by heavy rain and river overflow continue to affect southern British Columbia. According to media, more people are currently being evacuated. On 1 December, landslide events blocked two highways. Damage to houses and transportation infrastructure have been reported (ERCC).
• Australia. Heavy rain has been affecting eastern Australia over the last week, causing rivers overflow and floods that have resulted in casualties and damage (ERCC).
• Canary Islands. The activity in Cumbre la Vieja volcano (La Palma Island, Canary Islands) is still ongoing. The volcanic emissions from the main cone were intermittent over the last 24 hours, and a new cone has formed on the northeast flank. The seismic activity is increasing both in the intermediate depths and at more than 20 km (ERCC).

Health

• India‘s capital New Delhi has ordered the closure of schools and colleges until further notice from Friday after the Supreme Court criticised the city government for reopening educational institutions despite “very poor” air quality (Reuters).

Migration

• Mexico. Several thousand Haitian migrants have camped outside a stadium in the southern Mexican city of Tapachula, pleading to be transferred to other states and given authorization to travel freely through Mexico and seek employment (Reuters).

COVID-19

International preventative measures against COVID-19, including entry restrictions and in-country mobility remain fluid, and can be imposed without prior notice.  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. The University Vaccine Requirement Checker notes universities that require a COVID-19 Vaccine.

As notable cases:

• Canada on Tuesday said it will require people arriving internationally by air, except from the United States, to take a COVID-19 test, seeking to halt the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant. Airports warn of chaos due to potential hours-long lines (Reuters).
• China.  Hong Kong authorities will launch a new “health code” mobile phone application next week that travellers to mainland China would be required to use as the city prepares for a partial reopening of the border with the rest of the country (Reuters).
• China. Manzhouli, a Chinese city adjacent to Russia said that starting Friday, it would suspend certain activities for goods transported via highway, its latest move to tighten virus curbs along borders amid its COVID-19 resurgence (Reuters).
• Lebanon will impose a night-time curfew starting Dec. 17 on non-vaccinated people for three weeks and make full vaccination mandatory for all workers in several sectors due to concerns over the spread of coronavirus, the COVID-19 committee said on Wednesday (Reuters).
• United States. President Joe Biden’s administration will extend requirements for travelers to wear masks on airplanes, trains and buses and at airports and train stations through mid-March, sources briefed on the matter told Reuters, amid concerns about a new COVID-19 variant (Reuters). Biden officials also reviewing additional measures, including self-quarantine for seven days, and retesting after arrival (WaPo).

Global cases and deaths. As of 02 December, Johns Hopkins University counts 263,689,974 COVID-19 cases and 5,228,097 deaths. The WHO COVID-19 dashboard reports as of 01 December 262,178,403 confirmed cases, including 5,215,745 deaths.

As notable cases:

• The European Union‘s public health agency said on Thursday that the Omicron variant could be responsible for more than half of all COVID-19 infections in Europe within a few months (Reuters).
• Germany is likely to reach a peak of its fourth wave of COVID-19 infections by mid-December and this could mean 6,000 intensive care beds occupied by Christmas, the country’s association for intensive care medicine (DIVI) said on Wednesday (Reuters).
• South Korea reported on Wednesday (Dec 1) a new daily record of 5,123 new coronavirus cases. The surge began in early November after the country started relaxing COVID-19 rules, and the government said on Monday it would hold off a further easing because of the strain on its healthcare system and the possible threat posed by the new variant (CNA).

Vaccination campaigns around the world continue. As of 01 December, Our World in Data reports 54.6% of the world population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. 8.07 billion doses have been administered globally, and 32.74 million are now administered each day. Only 6% of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose. The WHO COVID-19 dashboard reports as of 29 November over 7.77 billion administered vaccine doses.

As notable cases:

• The European Union‘s (EU) drug regulator said on Thursday it had started a rolling review of the protein-based COVID-19 vaccine from French biotech firm Valneva (VLS.PA), weeks after the EU signed a deal with the company for supplies of the shot (Reuters).
• The Omicron variant appears able to get around some immunity but vaccines should still offer protection against severe disease, according to the latest data from South Africa where it is fast overtaking Delta to become the dominant variant (Reuters).

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.