040621 – World Status Report
April 6, 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 revision date (mmddyy) of this report, printed on the title of the post, 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
UK.GOV notes an increased threat of terrorism in Malaysia. The U.S. Department of State this last week ordered the departure on non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members from Burma (Myanmar).
Natural Disasters
The European Emergency Response Coordination Center reports on severe weather in Timor-Leste. It has caused severe floods and damaged essential hospital and medical supply infrastructure. The evacuation of hundreds of families is underway. GC.CA reports on severe weather in Indonesia, which has caused severe flooding and landslides, impacting roads and bridges. Heavy rains, flash flooding and landslides are expected to continue in the following days, impacting essential services.
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, and Australia.
As notable cases: BBC reports that in the UK a “COVID passport” is in development to test safety of mass events. It would record vaccination status, COVID test results, or recovery from COVID. While DW reports hundreds of tourist were turned back over COVID restrictions in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany.
Globally, as of 05 April, Johns Hopkins University counts 131,401,449 COVID-19 cases and 2,854,727 deaths, and the WHO COVID-19 dashboard reports as of 04 April 130,422,190 cases and 2,842,135 deaths.
The WHO weekly epidemiological update on COVID-19 – 30 March notes that cases continued to rise for a fifth consecutive week, and the number of deaths increased for the second consecutive week. All regions saw increases, with the largest seen in the South-East Asia,Western Pacific, and African Regions continuing with their upward trajectories of recent weeks. The largest increases were seen in Brazil, the United States, India, France, and Poland.
As notable cases: The New York Times reports on an outbreak in Ruili, China, a city in the border with Myanmar. The city has recorded 48 new cases in the past week and has been in lockdown since last week. CNN reports South Korea has on Saturday recorded its fifth day in a row of more than 500 cases, prompting a warning from the Health Minister of a fourth wave. The New York Times reports that India has recorded 100,000 new cases in one day for the first time.
According to the WHO weekly update, more countries continue to report variants of concern with 130 countries reporting variant B.1.1.7, 80 reporting variant B.1.351, and 45 reporting variant P.1.
Vaccinations campaigns around the world continue. As of 04 April, Our World in Data reports that 664.64 million vaccine doses have been administered globally. The WHO COVID-19 dashboard as of 31 March reports over 547 million administered vaccine doses.
As notable cases: The New York Times reports on the fast and successful vaccination program in Israel, where cases have gone down to a few hundred per day and there is a shaping post lock-down life emerging. In the U.S. the CDC guidance asks people to not travel internationally until they are fully vaccinated, and while traveling to continue observing mitigation measures such as wearing a mask, avoiding crowds, washing hands often, and following all airline and destination requirements.
Risk Levels
Countries risk levels remain high as reported by the CDC and the U.S. Department of State.
CDC COVID-19 Levels, last update on March 29
| # Countries | Risk Level |
| 154 | Level 4: COVID-19 Very High (avoid all travel) |
| 22 | Level 3: COVID-19 High (avoid all non-essential travel) |
| 18 | Level 2: COVID-19 Moderate (travelers at increased risk for severe illness, avoid all non-essential travel) |
| 27 | Level 1: COVID-19 Low (take steps to mitigate risks before, during, and after travel) |
| 24 | Level Unknown: COVID-19 Unknown (avoid all non-essential travel) |
U.S. Department of State Levels, last update on April 01
| # Countries | Risk Level |
| 31 | at Level 4: Do Not Travel |
| 155 | at Level 3: Reconsider Travel |
| 22 | at Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution |
| 3 | at Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions |
Please note the revision date (mmddyy) of this report, printed on the title of the post, and go to the direct sources linked for the most up-to-date information. The information in this report may change without prior notice.
