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
- Afghanistan – U.S. Department of State. Do not travel to Afghanistan due to armed conflict, terrorism, crime, and civil unrest. Read the entire travel advisory.
- Burkina Faso – U.S. Department of State. Reconsider travel to Burkina Faso due to terrorism. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory. GOV.UK. The FCO now advise against all travel to the Sahel and Est regions in full, and to the Koulpélogo province in Centre-Est region.
- Chad – GOV.AU. Do not travel to Chad. Reconsider your need to travel to the capital N’Djamena.
- Pakistan – U.S. Department of State. Reconsider travel to Pakistan due to terrorism. Some areas have increased risk. Please read the entire Travel Advisory.
- Turkey – U.S. Department of State. Reconsider travel to Turkey due to terrorism and arbitrary detentions. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory.
- Yemen – GOV.AU – Do not travel to Yemen, including the island of Socotra due to the very high threat of kidnapping and terrorist attack. U.S. Department of State. Do not travel to Yemen due to terrorism, civil unrest, health risks, and armed conflict. Terrorist groups continue to plot and conduct attacks in Yemen. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting public sites, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and local government facilities. Additionally, there is a continuing threat of kidnapping/detention by terrorists, criminal elements, and/or non-government actors. Employees of western organizations may be targeted for attack or kidnapping. Read the entire travel advisory.
Crime and Social Unrest
- Haiti – GOV.AU, GC.CA, GOV.UK, Since 7 February, there have been violent protests and road blocks in Port-au-Prince and other cities in Haiti. There are reports of fuel and food shortages. Remain vigilant, avoid crowds and protests as they may quickly turn violent, monitor local media and follow the advice of local authorities. Limit your movements as much as possible, stock up on essential supplies when safe to do so and regularly review your departure options. Commercial flights remain available. The security situation could further deteriorate quickly. You should consider leaving by commercial means while they are available, if you can do so safely. U.S Department of State. Due to these demonstrations, on February 14, 2019, the Department of State ordered the departure of all non-emergency U.S. personnel and their family members. The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Haiti.
- Venezuela – GOV.AU. Do not travel to Venezuela overall due to the unstable political and economic situation, food, water, medicine and petrol shortages and high levels of violent crime. Large demonstrations are likely in all major cities due to social and political tensions. This could lead to road closures and travel disruption. Avoid demonstrations and large gatherings as they may become violent. Monitor local media and follow the advice of authorities.
Natural Disasters and Climate
- Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, South Africa, Zimbabwe – GDACS. The drought has lasted for 3 months. Drought indicators suggest anomalies typical of severe to extreme events.
- Chile – GC.CA. Heavy rain in northern Chile has caused severe flooding in some areas since the beginning of February 2019. Consequently, several streets are impassable and some affected areas have been evacuated. 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.
- China, India, Myanmar, Nepal – GDACS. The drought has lasted for 7 months. Drought indicators suggest anomalies typical of severe to extreme events.
- Mauritius – GDACS. From 06/02/2019 to 14/02/2019, a Tropical Storm (maximum wind speed of 222 km/h) GELENA-19 was active in SWIndian.
- Peru – GDACS. The drought has lasted for 2 months. Drought indicators suggest anomalies typical of severe to extreme events.
Take Enhanced Precautions
Conflict and Terrorism
- India – GOV.AU, GOV.UK. On 14 February a terrorist attack on the Jammu – Srinagar highway resulted in a number of fatalities and casualties. Reconsider your need to travel to the cities of Jammu and Srinagar. Anticipate heightened security and restriction of movement in the region. Follow the advice of local authorities.
Crime and Social Unrest
- Dominican Republic – U.S. Department of State – Exercise increased caution in the Dominican Republic due to crime. Violent crime, such as robbery, murder, and sexual assault, is common. The wide availability of weapons, the use and trade of illicit drugs, and a weak criminal justice system contribute to the high level of criminality. Read the entire travel advisory.
- Jordan – GOV.UK. Due to an ongoing incident in in the Anjara and Ajlun areas we urge caution in visiting this part of Jordan. Anyone already in this area should follow the advice of the local authorities.
- Papua New Guinea – GOV.AU. In 2018 and 2019, there were several armed robberies of expatriate day trekkers near Sogeri and Variarta National Park, including an attempted armed carjacking. In 2019, expatriate day trekkers were robbed near the Goldie River Crossing. Consider using a security escort when travelling in the area.
- The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia – GOV.AU. Exercise a high degree of caution in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
Demonstrations
- Albania – GC.CA. Major demonstrations are planned in Tirana on February 16, 2019. Protesters are expected to gather on the Bulevardi Deshmoret e Kombit and in nearby areas. Confrontations between demonstrators and security forces may occur. They have led to violence in the past.
- Moldova – GC.CA. General elections are due to take place on February 24, 2019. Be cautious and avoid any demonstrations during the campaign period.
- Nigeria – GC.CA, GOV.UK. Presidential and national assembly elections are due to take place on February 23, 2019. Gubernatorial and state assembly elections are due to take place on March 9, 2019. Demonstrations could occur before, during and after the elections. Even peaceful demonstrations can turn violent at any time. Potential curfews, traffic restrictions and roadblocks could lead to disruptions to traffic and public transportation over the February 23 and 24, 2019 weekend and again on March 9 and 10, 2019. Contact your airline or travel agent before travelling to check your flight’s schedule and availability. Avoid areas where demonstrations and large gatherings are taking place. Don’t attempt to cross roadblocks, even if they appear unattended. Plan to have adequate water and food supplies in the event that main supply points are temporarily inaccessible. Follow the instructions of local authorities and monitor local media for information on ongoing demonstrations.
- Senegal – GOV.UK. There are likely to be political rallies and demonstrations in Dakar and other cities, with a risk of potential unrest; you should avoid any protests, demonstrations and areas where large public gatherings are likely.
Natural Disasters and Climate
- New Caledonia – GOV.AU. In anticipation of the approach of Tropical Cyclone Oma, local authorities have placed New Caledonia under a general ‘pre-alert’ with the north of the main island of Grand Terre and Belep at a heightened alert level. Register your travel plans on smartraveller, follow the instructions of local authorities, monitor forecasts and stay aware of developments as the cyclone approaches and passes.
Health
- Europe (Multistate) – ECDC. Influenza. From 4 – 10 February 2019, influenza activity was widespread in the European Region.
- Multistate – ECDC. MERS-CoV. In 2019 and as of 13 February 2019, 66 MERS-CoV cases were reported in Saudi Arabia (60) and Oman (6), of which 53 were male and 13 were female. There were eight deaths in Saudi Arabia (6) and Oman (2). In Saudi Arabia, 29 cases were primary cases, 21 healthcare-acquired and 10 household contacts. Of the primary cases, 11 reported camel contact. The majority of the cases (85%) were reported in Wadi Aldwasir (37) and Riyadh (14).
- France – ECDC. Measles. In February 2019, France reported an outbreak of measles among workers and tourists at a ski resort in Val Thorens, France. Following this notification, other countries reported cases of measles in returning travelers from Val Thorens. Virus sequenced genotype has been shared between the countries.
- China – ECDC. Influenza A(H9N2). On 1 February 2019, one additional case of human infection with H9N2 avian influenza was confirmed in Hunan Province, China. The patient is a 2-year-old male who developed symptoms on 27 November 2018. He had mild illness and no clear history of live poultry exposure.
- Nigeria – WHO. From 1 January through 10 February 2019, 327 cases of Lassa fever (324 confirmed cases and three probable cases) with 72 deaths (case fatality ratio = 22%) have been reported across 20 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with the majority of cases being reported from Edo (108) and Ondo (103) states. Twelve cases have been reported among healthcare workers in seven states – Edo (4), Ondo (3), Ebonyi (1), Enugu (1), Rivers (1), Bauchi (1) and Benue (1) including one death in Enugu.
- Réunion (France) – ECDC. Dengue. According to regional health authorities, Réunion has reported 476 cases of dengue since the beginning of 2019 and as of 3 February 2019. During the same period in 2018, Réunion reported approximately 45 cases.
- Saudi Arabia – WHO. From 1 January through 31 January 2019, the International Health Regulations (IHR) National Focal Point of Saudi Arabia reported fourteen additional cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection, including three deaths. Details of these cases can be found by following the link to a separate document after this paragraph. Of the 14 cases reported in January, eight are from three separate clusters of cases. Cluster 1 involves three cases (listed as cases 1, 2 and 3) in Riyadh Province and cluster 2 involves two cases (listed as cases 4 and 5) in the city of Jeddah. Cluster 3 involves three cases (listed as cases 11, 13 and 14) in the city of Wadi Aldwaser and is currently ongoing. More details regarding the outbreak in Wadi Aldwaser and the implementation of interventions by the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Saudi Arabia will be provided in the next update.
Ebola News
- Democratic Republic of the Congo – ECDC. Ebola. Since the previous CDTR, the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported 38 additional cases and one new health zone affected (Bunia, Ituri Province). As of 13 February 2019, according to the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, there have been 829 Ebola virus disease cases (768 confirmed, 61 probable), including 521 deaths (460 in confirmed and 61 in probable cases), since the beginning of the outbreak.
- Democratic Republic of the Congo – WHO. WHO continuously monitors changes to the epidemiological situation and context of the outbreak to ensure that support to the response is adapted to the evolving circumstances. The last review conducted on 7 February 2019, outlines the high risk the EVD outbreak poses at the national and regional levels, though global risk levels remain low. This EVD outbreak is affecting primarily the north-eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo bordering Uganda, Rwanda, and South Sudan. There is a potential risk for transmission of EVD 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 fragile security situation in North Kivu and Ituri, further 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.
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