US Travel Advisory Highest Level "Worldwide Travel Ban" (Comprehensive)

COVID-19 Cases in the US Surpass 13,000
Spread Intensifies, Border Controls Tightened

A shopping mall in Maryland, USA, is completely empty.
[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] On the 19th (local time), the U.S. Department of State raised its travel advisory for Americans traveling abroad to the highest level, Level 4 "Do Not Travel." This unprecedented decision applies not to specific countries but to all countries worldwide.

The State Department stated that "due to the global impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Americans are advised to avoid all international travel." It emphasized that Americans currently abroad should be prepared to remain overseas indefinitely only if they are ready, otherwise they must prepare to return to the U.S. immediately and avoid all international travel. With this measure, the Level 4 advisory related to COVID-19 has expanded from China, Iran, all of Mongolia, and parts of South Korea and Italy to all countries worldwide.

The New York Times (NYT) reported that the State Department's action is usually reserved for countries at war, experiencing severe political unrest, or natural disasters, and that many Americans living abroad prefer to stay in their places of residence.

The U.S. is strengthening border controls by restricting not only the entry of foreigners but also the movement of its own citizens. Domestically, this reflects the intention to prevent the virus from entering the U.S. through travel restrictions while defending against the spread of the virus. Entry of travelers from China, Iran, and Europe has already been banned.

Although Canada has banned entry of foreigners but allowed entry of Americans, the U.S. has chosen to implement comprehensive controls on its own. Reports also indicate that the U.S. will announce measures to restrict the border with Mexico on the 20th. The suspension of regular visa services at U.S. embassies worldwide is also expected to effectively limit the entry of foreigners.

The U.S. is also considering measures for Americans living abroad who wish to return but are effectively stranded. During a press conference on the same day, President Donald Trump said in response to questions about actions for Americans stuck abroad due to border controls, "We will bring them back even if we have to use the military."

The COVID-19 infection situation in the U.S. is worsening. According to Johns Hopkins University, as of that evening, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. reached 13,678. The number of confirmed cases in the U.S. surpassed 10,000 that morning, up from around 8,500 the previous day, and the upward trend has not stopped since.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.