World Status Report
May 25, 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 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
A constitutional crisis deepened in the Pacific Island nation of Samoa, which now has two competing governments and two claimants to the prime ministership (NYT). In Mexico, since the midterm election process began last September, 85 politicians have been murdered, including the 32 who had been running for office, according to Etellekt Consultores, which tracks campaign violence (ABJ).
Health
Since the last update on 10 April 2021, new cholera cases have been reported worldwide. Countries reporting the majority of new cases since the previous update are Bangladesh and Yemen (ECDC). India has recorded at least 8,848 cases of black fungus, or mucormycosis, according to data shared by a senior government minister Saturday (CNN).
Natural Disasters
Cyclone Yaas is expected to intensify into a Severe Cyclonic Storm and around 26 May intensify to a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm. India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka are in high alert. (ERCC). An eruption of the Mount Nyiragongo volcano near the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo displaced (UN News) more than twenty-five thousand people and killed at least fifteen (AP). Nyiragongo is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Lava flows from the volcanic eruption of Mount Nyiragongo have reportedly stopped near Munigi just north of the Goma airport, and the Goma airport is currently closed (US Embassy in DRC).
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. 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.
As notable cases: Domestic and international air traffic in Europe is not expected to recover from COVID-19 slowdowns until 2024 at the earliest (EUROCONTROL). European Union citizens can start traveling with the COVID-19 Certificates as of July 1 (Schengenvisainfo). The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has applauded the growing number of countries that have decided to reopen their borders for vaccinated travellers. The latest figures gathered by IATA reveal that more than 20 countries have partially or entirely lifted their entry restrictions for those vaccinated against COVID-19 (SchengenVisaInfo)
Globally, as of 24 May, Johns Hopkins University counts 167,243,444 COVID-19 cases and 3,465,348 deaths, and the WHO COVID-19 dashboard reports 166,860,081 cases and 3,459,996 deaths.
As notable cases: India on Monday became the third country to surpass 300,000 deaths from the coronavirus, joining Brazil and the United States, though new cases in Delhi have dropped (NYT). Japan’s second-largest city, Osaka, is struggling to deal with a surge in new coronavirus cases that has overwhelmed local hospitals, with officials warning that the city will be unable to cope if the growth continues (NYT). Argentina has begun a new nine-day lockdown amid a resurgence of coronavirus cases and a slow vaccine rollout. President Alberto Fernández said the country was experiencing its worst moment of the pandemic (BBC).
Vaccination campaigns around the world continue. As of 23 May, Our World in Data reports 1.67 billion administered vaccine doses globally. The WHO COVID-19 dashboard as of 24 May reports over 1.48 billion administered vaccine doses.
As notable cases: Covid-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna work against B.1.617 variant of the virus that was first identified in India, according to a new study (NPR).
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.
