U.S. urges Americans to stay in the States amid COVID-19 pandemic — or get back now
Or shelter in place abroad. The State Department issued a blanket advisory against all international travel for the first time ever.
The United States Department of State issued a global Level 4 health advisory on all countries Thursday, recommending a halt to any international travel and advising Americans currently overseas to get back as soon as possible — or prepare to shelter in place “for an indefinite period.”
Level 4 is the highest advisory — a “do not travel” recommendation — generally reserved for countries with outstandingly dangerous circumstances, such as disease outbreaks, natural disasters or active war zones. Before Thursday’s adjustment, the advisory had solely been on 16 countries, including North Korea, China and much of the Middle East.
This is the first time in history that such an advisory has blanketed all international travel.
It is one of many economic measures the U.S. is weighing in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, which has penetrated 176 countries and regions; there are almost 587,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and over 27,000 deaths as of March 27, according to Johns Hopkins’ Center for Systems Science and Engineering live tracker. In the U.S., there have been close to 98,000 recognized cases across all states and more than 1,500 deaths.
The U.S. became the country with the most overall diagnoses and active cases in the world on March 26, surpassing China and Italy.
Although the advisory is a recommendation — not a requirement — to stay put, it signals that the U.S. will not be able to assist its citizens abroad in a normal capacity. This is partly fueled by the State Department’s decision to allow U.S. personnel and their families to leave their diplomatic posts in embassies and consulates if said personnel felt that they were at a higher risk of negative endings from infection.
“Have a travel plan that does not rely on the U.S. government for assistance,” the advisory states.
But for Americans already abroad, fears of having to live elsewhere for an indefinite period are real, given that many airlines are cancelling flights and other countries are closing borders or otherwise limiting travel.
“Airlines have cancelled many international flights and several cruise operators have suspended operations or cancelled trips,” the advisory read. “If you choose to travel internationally, your travel plans may be severely disrupted and you may be forced to remain outside of the United States for an indefinite time frame.”
Already, many Americans have encountered issues returning home from several countries, including Honduras, Morocco, Peru and Tunisia, according to a letter sent to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo by nine Senate Democrats on the Committee of Foreign Relations Wednesday.
The letter called for clarification and action to ascertain Americans’ safety internationally as well as their ability to return to the U.S., calling for “immediate clarification regarding [his] current efforts to facilitate the return of Americans to the United States, whether by commercial airline flights, charter flights or other means.”
Pompeo — who approved the Level 4 advisory, CNN reported — responded in an interview with Sean Hannity, saying it will take time to enact more measures and that they had just learned of individuals being stranded. No other formal actions have been taken, although President Donald Trump said that he might authorize the military to extricate individuals currently stuck in Peru in a news briefing Wednesday.
All visa services abroad are also being suspended for an indeterminable period, the Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs tweeted; passport applications will only be passed for those planning to travel within 72 hours for life-or-death emergencies. And the borders between the U.S. and Canada and Mexico will also close for non-essential travel starting this weekend, Trump announced in a news briefing Friday.
For those seemingly stranded or choosing to remain outside of the U.S., the State Department recommended enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive alerts and make yourself easier to be found if you’re in trouble. And in an emergency, contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate or call the following numbers: 1 (888) 407–4747 while in the U.S. or Canada or 1 (202) 501–4444 from other areas.
Read the full advisory here. Read the letter sent to Pompeo here.
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