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

• Russian attacks have continued in Bakhmut, Ukraine; resulting reportedly in 60% of the city being destroyed. Shelling was also recorded in Zaporizhzhia oblast on 3 January; Nikopol was attacked on 4 January.
• Two separate incidents have caused the deaths of 6 people and wounded 15 more in Dangri village, Rajouri district in Jammu Kashmir in India, on the first two days of 2023.
• The UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) together with international partners, have called for the immediate end to mounting violence in the Greater Pibor area by armed youth from Jonglei state.
• Death toll in Somalia twin bombings rises to at least 20. A doctor says the death toll in a pair of suicide car bombings in Somalia early Wednesday has risen to at least 35, including nine members of the same family.

Demonstrations

• Handicraft vendors block roads to Mexico’s Chichen Itza ruin. Hundreds of handicraft vendors in southern Mexico blocked access roads to the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza for the third day Wednesday.

Natural Disasters

• Over the past few days, western and southern Philippines continued to experience heavy rain that caused floods, triggered landslides and resulted in casualties and damage.
• On 25 December 2022, heavy rainfall caused floods and a number of landslides across Kupang Regency in East Nusa Tenggara Province (western Timor Island, Indonesia), casualties and damage were reported.
• Northern California (western USA) continues to be affected by strong winds, heavy rainfall, and thunderstorms, resulting in casualties, evacuations, and damage.
• In the 2022-2023 rainy season (which started in November), heavy rains, strong winds, and thunderstorms have affected 24 councils of Malawi, causing floods, and severe weather-related incidents that resulted in casualties and damage.
• On 29-30 December, a number of landslides caused by heavy rainfall occurred in South Kivu Province in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), resulting in casualties.

Health

• COVID variant XBB.1.5, a sub-lineage of the SARS-CoV-2 lineage XBB, is currently estimated to have a large growth advantage over previously circulating lineages in North America (139%) and Europe (137%), although these estimates are associated with significant uncertainty. There is a possibility that this variant could have an increasing effect on the number of COVID-19 cases in the EU/EEA, but not within the coming month as the variant is currently only present in the EU/EEA at very low levels. The most likely explanation of the growth advantage is the already high level of immune escape demonstrated by XBB, combined with the effect of the spike change S486P, which could provide either a transmissibility advantage, additional immune escape, or both.
• The number of COVID-19 cases has reached a record high in mainland China, peaking on 2 December 2022. In the past three weeks, incidence has fallen, likely also due to a lower number of tests being carried out, resulting in fewer infections being detected. There continues to be a lack of reliable data on COVID-19 cases, hospital admissions, deaths as well as Intensive Care Unit (ICU) capacity and occupancy in China. High levels of SARS-CoV-2 infections and increased pressure on healthcare services in China are expected in the coming weeks due to low population immunity and the relaxation of non-pharmaceutical interventions.

Traveler mobilty

• CDC announces negative COVID-19 test requirement from air passengers entering the United States from the People’s Republic of China and the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau, and also passengers transiting Incheon International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport, and Vancouver International Airport on their way to the United States will be required to provide a negative COVID-19 test if they have been in the PRC in the last 10 days no more than 2 days before their departure to the United States.
• European Union member states agreed on Wednesday to “strongly encourage” a negative COVID-19 test requirement for all travelers coming from China, regardless of nationality.

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.

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