Category: Health & Safety
Worldwide Caution
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/worldwide-caution.html
Update: US Department of State Overhauls Risk Rating System
The U.S. Department of State has implemented a new system for advising travelers about risk. It has eliminated the previous system of Travel Warnings and Alerts, replacing them with Travel Advisories for each country, with a numerical ranking of 1-4.
Global Program Announces New International Travel Tools
Effective January 16, 2018, Global Programs will implement a new international travel registration and communication tool that makes the following resources available to University faculty, students, and staff traveling abroad:
- Detailed destination briefings.
- Automatic alerts of critical incidents at or near the destination of travel, and
- Two way emergency communication between travelers and BU Global Programs via email and SMS.
Travel Alert Update: U.S. Limits Devices for Passengers on Foreign Airlines from Eight Countries
The U.S. has now ended its laptop ban on Middle Eastern airlines.
Europe Travel Alert
The U.S. Department of State has renewed a temporary Travel Alert for Europe, to make travelers aware of the potential risks of travel. The Alert does not advise cancelling or postponing travel to Europe. This alert will expire on November 30, 2017.
Travel Alert: U.S. Limits Devices for Passengers on Foreign Airlines from Eight Countries
The Department of Homeland Security has just announced that no passengers will be allowed to carry-on laptops, tablets, or any other electronic device larger than mobile phones on flights run by non-US carriers and departing from the airports listed below. Any such devices must be in checked baggage. For more information click here. This policy is subject to change without notice.
- Queen Alia International Airport (AMM-Amman, Jordan)
- Cairo International Airport (CAI)
- Ataturk International Airport (IST-Istanbul, Turkey)
- King Abdul-Aziz International Airport (JED-Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)
- King Khalid International Airport (RUH-Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
- Kuwait International Airport (KWI)
- Mohammed V Airport (CMN-Casablanca, Morocco)
- Hamad International Airport (DOH=Doha, Qatar)
- Dubai International Airport (DXB)
- Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH
Information for Boston University International Travelers
This information is offered in an effort to assist BU travelers, in light of the Executive Order issued by the President of the United States on January 27, 2017. For further information on BU’s position, please see the letter from President Robert Brown to the BU community, January 29, 2017.
There are many unanswered questions and the situation remains very fluid. The most up to date information will be on the ISSO website.
- Boston University recommends that any citizen of Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Sudan or Yemen not travel to or from the U.S. until further notice.
- Lawful Permanent U.S. Residents (Green Card holders) who are citizens of those countries are being inspected upon entry and exempted from the Executive Order on a case by case basis.
- U.S. citizens (including U.S. citizens who also hold a passport from one of the named countries) will not be denied entry into the U.S.
- Citizens of the named countries who hold dual nationality with another country aside from the U.S. (for example, Syria and France) should present their preferred passport and will be inspected for entry based on that country of citizenship
- The International Students and Scholars Office website provides much more detailed information about the Executive Order and its implications for the BU community.
The Zika Virus – New CDC Guidelines
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has issued detailed new guidelines concerning Zika and pregnancy as well as the sexual transmission of Zika. Boston University recommends that all travelers considering travel to areas highlighted by CDC as areas with active transmission of Zika follow these guidelines, and discuss any questions or concerns with a physician before travel.
There are several travel medicine clinics in the Boston area, including at the Boston Medical Center.
Europe Travel Alert
The U.S. Department of State has issued a temporary Travel Alert for Europe, to make travelers aware of the potential risks of travel. The Alert does not advise cancelling or postponing travel to Europe. This alert will expire on June 20, 2016.
The Zika Virus – Advice for Travelers
The Centers for Disease Control has issued a Level 2 Alert – “Practice Enhanced Precautions” for most of Central and South America and the Caribbean in response to the recent outbreak of the mosquito-borne Zika virus. Zika is generally considered to be a mild disease, with symptoms appearing in only about 1 in 5 cases. Symptoms include fever, rashes, joint pain and conjunctivitis, and generally last 2 – 7 days.
However, the Zika virus outbreak has been linked in Brazil to a high number of cases of microcephaly, a serious birth defect affecting the development of the skull and brain. The CDC recommends that women who are pregnant postpone travel to areas that are less than 2,000 meters (approx. 6,500 feet) above sea level in countries and U.S. territories with active Zika virus transmission.
There is no preventative measure or treatment for Zika. Travelers are urged to protect themselves from mosquito bites by following standard precautions:
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants
- Use EPA-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), or IR3535. Always use as directed.
- Insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, and IR3535 are safe for pregnant and nursing women and children older than 2 months when used according to the product label. Oil of lemon eucalyptus products should not be used on children under 3 years of age.
- Use permethrin-treated clothing and gear (such as boots, pants, socks, and tents).
- Stay and sleep in screened-in or air-conditioned rooms.
Global Feature
Global Feature
Global Feature
