International Education > Archive > Category: World Status Report

020519 – World Status Report

February 5, 2019

When traveling on behalf of UT Dallas, set up your institutional safety net and prepare for an emergency as a standard step of all your travels.  Find more information in the Traveler Best Practices webpage.

The risk information in this report is retrieved from U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and other professional sources as listed in the post. It provides general guidance for UT Dallas travelers.

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

Avoid Nonessential Travel

Conflict and Terrorism

  • Benin – U.S. Department of State. Reconsider Travel. Reconsider Travel  to the northern border region adjacent to Burkina Faso, and Parc W due to terrorism. Exercise Increased Caution in urban areas due to crime.  Read the entire Travel Advisory.
  • Chad – U.S. Department of State. Reconsider Travel. Reconsider travel to Chad due to crime, terrorism, and minefields. Violent crimes, such as armed robbery, carjacking, and muggings, have been reported. There was a significant increase in these crimes in 2018. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting foreigners, local security forces, and civilians. They can easily cross borders, including in the Lake Chad region; borders may close without notice.  Read the entire Travel Advisory.
  • Chad – U.S. Department of State. Reconsider Travel. Reconsider travel to Chad due to crime, terrorism, and minefields. Read the entire Travel Advisory.

Crime and Social Unrest

  • Burkina Faso – GC.CA. Avoid all travel to the provinces below along the borders with Mali, Niger, Benin and Togo, because of the risk of banditry and kidnapping. A state of emergency has been declared. Avoid all travel to less than 80 km from the border with Mali in the provinces of Yatenga, Banwa, Léraba and Houet due to the risk of banditry and kidnapping.
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo – GOV.UK. The FCO now advise against all but essential travel to the city of Goma in North Kivu province; the city of Bukavu in South Kivu province; and the districts of N’dijili and Kimbanseke in Kinshasa; areas where the FCO already advise against all travel remain unchanged.
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo – U.S. Department of State. Reconsider Travel. Reconsider travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) due to crime and civil unrest. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory.
  • El Salvador – U.S. Department of State. Reconsider Travel. Reconsider travel to El Salvador due to crime. Violent crime, such as murder, assault, rape, and armed robbery, is common. Gang activity, such as extortion, violent street crime, and narcotics and arms trafficking, is widespread. Local police may lack the resources to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents. Read the entire Travel Advisory.
  • Kenya – GOV.AU. On 4 February the US Government warned that credible information indicates that westerners may be targeted by extremists in Nairobi, Naivasha, Nanyuki and coastal areas of Kenya. Exercise heightened vigilance in public places such as shopping malls, hotels and places of worship.
  • Thailand – U.S. Department of State. Reconsider Travel. Reconsider travel to Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, and Songkhla provinces due to civil unrest. Read the entire Travel Advisory.
  • Venezuela – U.S. Department of State. Do Not Travel. Do not travel to Venezuela due to crime, civil unrest, poor health infrastructure, and arbitrary arrest and detention of U.S. citizens.  Read the entire Travel Advisory.

Natural Disasters and Climate

  • Brazil – GC.CA,  GDACS.  A mining dam broke in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais on January 25, 2019, near Brumadinho, located 60 km from Belo Horizonte‎. Some areas have been evacuated. There are many casualties. Local authorities are also monitoring a second dam that threatens to collapse in the same area. Nearby communities could be affected by contaminated mud. Avoid flooded areas. Follow the advice of local authorities, including any evacuation order and monitor local media.
  • Chile – GC.CA,  GOV.UK.  Heavy rain in northern Chile has caused severe flooding in the cities of Arica and San Pedro de Atacama on February 1, 2019. Consequently, several streets are impassable and evacuation orders are in effect. More rain is expected in the upcoming days. It may cause flash flooding and landslides and could severely disrupt essential services. If you are in the affected areas monitor local news and weather reports, follow the instructions of local authorities including evacuation orders and contact your travel agent to determine if the situation will disrupt travel arrangements.

Take Enhanced Precautions

Conflict and Terrorism

  • Qatar – GC.CA. There is a constant terrorist threat throughout the Arabian Peninsula, where reports of planned terrorist attacks occasionally emerge. Terrorist attacks could occur at any time. Targets could include government buildings, including schools, places of worship, airports and other transportation hubs and networks, and public areas such as tourist attractions, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, shopping centres, markets, hotels and other sites frequented by foreigners.

Crime and Social Unrest

  • Ghana – GC.CA. Chieftaincy disputes and political tension can sometimes lead to localized violence and unrest. While possible throughout Ghana, these conflicts most commonly occur in Bawku (Upper East region), Bimbilla and Cheriponi (Northern region). During these times of unrest, local authorities may impose curfews. If you’re travelling in an area where unrest is possible, monitor local media (including social media) to stay up to date on the current situation. If unrest breaks out, follow the instructions of local authorities and adhere to curfews they may impose.
  • Guinea – U.S. Department of State. Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Exercise increased caution in Guinea due to civil unrest. Frequent, unpredictable demonstrations occur across the country.  Some have turned violent, resulting in injuries and several fatalities. Demonstrators have also attacked vehicles when drivers attempted to pass through or around the protests. Criminals take advantage of the resulting traffic congestion to rob/extort money from drivers and pedestrians. Read the entire Travel Advisory.

Demonstrations

  • Comoros – GC.CA. Presidential elections are due to take place on March 24, 2019. Demonstrations could occur before, during and after the elections. Avoid areas where demonstrations and large gatherings are taking place. Follow the instructions of local authorities and monitor local media for the latest information.
  • El Salvador – GC.CA. Presidential elections took place on February 3, 2019. The sale and consumption of alcohol will be prohibited from February 2 to February 4, 2019. Expect large crowds and heavy traffic. Demonstrations could occur before, during and after the elections. Avoid areas where demonstrations and large gatherings are taking place. Follow the instructions of local authorities and monitor local media for information on ongoing demonstrations.
  • Nigeria – GOV.UK . Presidential elections will take place in Nigeria on 16 February; in the run up to the elections, protests in Abuja and other Nigerian cities including: Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Rivers are becoming increasingly frequent; public gatherings and demonstrations may take place at short notice and have the potential to turn violent; you should avoid rallies, public gatherings and demonstrations, and monitor local media.
  • Pakistan – GOV.UK. On 29 January, Pakistan’s Supreme Court upheld the acquittal of Asia Bibi in a blasphemy case; supporters of the political party Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan have said they will protest the Supreme Court decision; previous protests by the party’s supporters caused widespread disruption; the authorities are taking precautionary measures; protests can take place with little warning and turn violent quickly and you should avoid demonstrations, large crowds of people and public events.
  • Venezuela – GC.CA. Large-scale and violent demonstrations frequently occur in Caracas and many other areas across the country. They have resulted in many arrests, including of foreign reporters, injuries and deaths in the past. Demonstrations can take many forms, including large-scale gatherings, marches, national strikes, roadblocks, including on major highways. Demonstrations can lead to disruptions to traffic and public transportation.

Entry and Exit Requirements

  • Uzbekistan – GC.CA. You must obtain a visa before arriving in Uzbekistan for stays longer than 30 days. Tourist visa: Not required (for stays of up to 30 days). Business visa: Not required (for stays of up to 30 days). Student visa: Not required (for stays of up to 30 days). Each type of visa has different application requirements.

Natural Disasters and Climate

  • Cuba – GC.CA. On January 27, 2019, a tornado hit Havana, causing significant damage to infrastructure and power cuts. The most affected areas include Cerro, Santo Suárez, Luyanó, Vía Blanca, Regla and Chibás. If you plan on travelling to Cuba, contact your travel agent to determine if the situation will disrupt your travel plans.
  • Australia – GOV.UK. On 3 February 2019, an Emergency Alert message was issued to residents of the city of Townsville, Queensland due to the risk of flash flooding in a number of areas. This follows the flood warning issued for the city on 1 February 2019. If you’re in the affected area you should follow the advice of the Queensland Fire & Emergency Services. In a life threatening emergency always dial 000, or for flood and storm emergencies dial 132 500. You can also seek assistance from the State Emergency Service.
  • United States – GOV.UK. A severe winter storm is affecting several states within the US Midwest region, including Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin; hazardous weather conditions have led to power outages and travel disruption in some areas, including delays and cancellations to flights; road conditions may become hazardous; if you’re in an affected area or due to travel, you should monitor local media, follow the advice of the local authorities and check with your airline or transport provider before travelling.

Health

  • Brazil – ECDC. Yellow fever. Yellow fever is a mosquito-borne viral infection that occurs in certain tropical areas of Africa and South America. Brazil has experienced a major outbreak of yellow fever since 2016. An upsurge of confirmed cases have been reported since mid-December 2017.
  • Europe (Multistate) – ECDC. Influenza. During week 4 of 2019, influenza activity remained relatively stable in the European Region. Samples collected from individuals presenting with influenza-like illness (ILI) or acute respiratory infection (ARI) to sentinel primary health care sites yielded an influenza positivity rate of 51.3%.
  • Fiji – GOV.UK. The Ministry of Health and Medical Services has declared an outbreak of leptospirosis in the Central Division. There have been 4 deaths in the Central Division from the outbreak. Please exercise caution should you be travelling to the Central Division and visit the nearest hospital or healthcare facility if suffering from the symptoms of leptospirosis. See link: Ministry of Health & Medical Services.
  • France and Spain – ECDC. Salmonella Poona in infant products. Santé publique France has reported cases of Salmonella Poona in infants with genome sequences (cgMLST) belonging to the same cluster. All patients consumed infant formula from the same brand before developing symptoms.
  • France (Mayotte) – ECDC. Rift Valley fever (RVF). In December 2018 and January 2019, authorities reported an increase of Rift Valley fever cases in human and animals on Mayotte. These are the first human cases reported on Mayotte for several years.
  • Multistate (World) – ECDC. Influenza A(H9N2). On 3 January 2019, one case of human infection with H9N2 avian influenza was confirmed in Guangdong Province, China. The patient is a 32-year-old woman who lives in Shenzhen and developed symptoms on 19 December 2018. She was admitted to the hospital on 25 December 2018, but the illness was mild.
  • United Kingdom – WHO. On 7 January 2019, the International Health Regulations (IHR) National Focal Point for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland notified WHO about two cases of extensive drug resistant (XDR) Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection diagnosed in the United Kingdom.

Other

  • India – GOV.UK. The European Aviation Safety Agency has suspended Turkmenistan Airlines flights to and from the EU pending confirmation that it meets international air safety standards. This means Turkmenistan Airlines flights from Amritsar to Birmingham and Heathrow, and New Delhi to Heathrow, which fly via Ashgabat, do not have permission to continue their route from Ashgabat to Birmingham and Heathrow; affected passengers are advised to contact Turkmenistan Airlines for advice.

Ebola News

  • Democratic Republic of the Congo – ECDC. Since the previous CDTR, the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported 44 additional cases. As of 30 January 2019, according to the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, there have been 759 Ebola virus disease cases (705 confirmed, 54 probable), including 468 deaths (414 in confirmed and 54 in probable cases), since the beginning of the outbreak. As of 31 January 2019, according to the WHO Disease outbreak news, 65 healthcare workers have been infected to date.
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo – WHO. WHO reviewed its risk assessment for the outbreak and the risk remains very high at the national and regional levels; the global risk level remains low. This Ebola virus outbreak is affecting north-eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo bordering Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan. There is a potential risk for transmission of Ebola virus at the national and regional levels due to extensive travel between the affected areas, the rest of the country, and neighbouring countries for economic and personal reasons as well as due to insecurity. The country is concurrently experiencing other epidemics (e.g. cholera, vaccine-derived poliomyelitis, malaria), and a long-term humanitarian crisis. Additionally, the security situation in North Kivu and Ituri at times limits the implementation of response activities.

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