World Status Report

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 clashes between different communities in Salamat region in Chad between 14 and 16  April, over 100 dead and injured persons have been reported (ERCC). There is ongoing civil unrest and armed conflict in Myanmar. There has been a significant increase in the level of violence with many deaths, injuries and arrests. There have been widespread detentions, including of foreigners (GOV.AU), (UN News). A spate of clashes involving Government security forces and insurgent groups in northeast Nigeria has caused mass displacement and threatened humanitarian assistance, as armed groups go “house-to-house” hunting for aid workers, the UN said on Friday (UN News).

Natural Disasters

An earthquake occurred in western Iran on 18 April at 6.41 UTC (11.11 local time). The epicentre was located approximately 26 km north-east of Bandar Ganaveh (Genaveh County, Bushehr Province).  Over 1000 households were affected (ERCC). In South Africa, a wildfire broke out in Cape Town’s Table Mountain National Park on 18 April, resulting in casualties and up to 4,000 individuals evacuated due to the proximity of the fire to the University of Cape Town (ERCC). Heavy rain has been affecting central-eastern Philippines, resulting in flooding, as national authorities report. Up to 68,490 people from Bicol and Eastern Visayas Regions have been pre-emptively evacuated (ERCC).

Health

More than 31 million people across West and Central Africa may not have enough to eat in the coming months as hunger rises due to an “explosive mix” of skyrocketing food prices, conflict and fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday (UN News).

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. 

As notable cases: Hong Kong will temporarily ban flights from India, Pakistan and the Philippines for 14 days beginning Tuesday after a rise in Covid-19 cases in those countries (CNN). Greece lifted quarantine restrictions Monday morning for some EU travelers as well as those in the US, Britain, Israel, Serbia and the UAE (CNN). Airports in Australia and New Zealand were filled with emotional scenes on Monday as thousands of passengers were allowed to travel freely between the two countries for the first time in more than a year (NYT). France to open borders for vaccinated tourists in May, including Americans and Britons (Schegenvisainfo)

Globally, as of 19 April, Johns Hopkins University counts 141,507,607 COVID-19 cases and 3,022,126 deaths, and the WHO COVID-19 dashboard reports 140,886,773 cases and 3,012,251 deaths. 

As notable cases: The second wave of Covid-19 cases in India has overwhelmed the health care system and resources are in severe shortage, with many Indians taking to social media sites like Twitter to request help for their coronavirus-positive relatives (CNN).

Vaccination campaigns around the world continue.  As of 18 April, Our World in Data reports over 904 million administered vaccine doses globally. The WHO COVID-19 dashboard as of 19 April reports over 792 million administered vaccine doses.

As notable cases: Germany’s vaccine rollout is intensifying, with more doses arriving in the country. As of Friday, 19.1% of German population has received at least one vaccine dose and 6.5% of the overall population has received two doses (CNN).

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 April 12

# Countries	Risk Level
142	Level 4: COVID-19 Very High (avoid all travel)
19	Level 3: COVID-19 High (avoid all non-essential travel)
36	Level Unknown: COVID-19 Unknown (avoid all non-essential travel)
18	Level 2: COVID-19 Moderate (travelers at increased risk for severe illness, avoid all non-essential travel)
30	Level 1: COVID-19 Low (take steps to mitigate risks before, during, and after travel)

U.S. Department of State Levels, last update on April 17

# Countries	Risk Level
34	Level 4: Do Not Travel
152	Level 3: Reconsider Travel
22	Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
3	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.