The World Shuts Its Doors to US Travelers

As countries around the world continue to maintain flattened curves of COVID-19 cases and begin the process of reopening their borders to visitors, many have enacted restrictions and bans on entry for all United States citizens. The U.S., a country which has not flattened the curve, has seen its number of COVID-19 cases increase to over 3 million as of July 8, the highest in the world for any country.

The European Union and the non-EU nations of Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein began the process of allowing foreign visitors into their respective borders on July 1. This initial list of 15 countries highlights the cautious standards set by the EU to limit the spread of the virus by foreign travelers arriving from countries experiencing surges of COVID-19 cases.

According to the Council of the EU, a country that is to be considered for the travel restrictions to be lifted must include: “[the] number of new COVID-19 cases over the last 14 days and per 100,000 inhabitants [be] close to or below the [June 15] EU average, stable or decreasing trend of new cases over this period in comparison to the previous 14 days, [and the country’s] overall response to COVID-19 taking into account available information.”

These travel restrictions do not apply to travelers with “an essential function or need” in Europe. Likewise, the EU will review the situation every two weeks and may add or remove countries from the list of those whose travelers are permitted to enter the aforementioned European countries.

While the EU is the latest governing body to bar U.S. citizens from travel to the region, others have had similar restrictions in place for a much longer duration of the ongoing pandemic. Cuba, a country which notably shut its borders to all non-Cuban citizens on March 20 and flattened its curve early on, extended its suspension of all international flights to August 1.

New Zealand, a country which has virtually eradicated COVID-19 within its borders, imposed similar travel restrictions to those of Cuba. The nation essentially barred all foreign travelers from entering the country at the beginning of the pandemic, and will continue to uphold these restrictions for the foreseeable future.

China, where the COVID-19 outbreak began, has not imposed an official ban on U.S. travelers entering the country. However, all international travelers entering China are subject to COVID-19 screening upon entry and a mandatory 14-day quarantine at either a government-selected facility or hotel at the traveler’s expense.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs continues to update its travel database daily with any new information in regard to travel restrictions and COVID-19 cases around the globe. While the Trump administration has not officially restricted U.S. citizens from traveling abroad, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discourages any form of nonessential travel.

Jacob Sutherland

is a recent graduate from the University of California San Diego where he majored in Political Science and minored in Spanish Language Studies. He previously served as the News Editor for The UCSD Guardian, and hopes to shed light on social justice issues in his work.

Studying Abroad Amid Lockdown

According to the Institute of International Education, the University of Georgia ranks thirteenth in the nation for the number of students who study abroad. With over one hundred faculty-led programs and nearly 2,000 students studying abroad each year, global experiential learning promises an expanded worldview and diversified education. 

During my second year pursuing a Spanish degree at the University of Georgia, I decided to study abroad in Valencia, Spain. Expecting to explore Europe for six months, I eagerly boarded a plane from Atlanta to Madrid with three bulky suitcases. From December to January, I spent my days attending lectures at a local university, traversing the Spanish countryside, and conversing with locals. Amid my cultural immersion, reports began to emerge about the coronavirus outbreak in China. I naively believed this novel disease would not impede trips to England, France, and Portugal.  

By February, however, COVID-19 had inundated Europe, forcing many study abroad students to return home. UGA’s Office of Global Engagement, like many universities, consequently issued this statement: “The University of Georgia recognizes that international travel, communication, and partnerships are essential to UGA's academic, research, and outreach mission and supports these endeavors. Countries and areas that carry U.S. State Department Travel Advisory Level 3/4 require special consideration and review to manage and mitigate risk, and in many circumstances, require the avoidance of travel altogether.” After a soccer match against Milan, a coronavirus epicenter, Valencia’s travel advisory was raised to a level 2. 

Fearing my study abroad program would abruptly end, I intended on visiting as much of Europe as possible. For three consecutive weeks, I took advantage of cheap airfare and traveled to London, Paris, and Lisbon. Each city’s hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions were practically vacant. I had imagined the streets of Paris, the city of romance and culture, to be bustling with music and lovers walking hand in hand. Yet, during the last week of February, Paris was eerily still. I waited for five minutes to climb the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe, while most tourists wait over an hour. In the Louvre, which normally averages 15,000 visitors per day, I observed artwork like the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo in silence. Even Champs-Elysees, the most famous street in Paris, was deserted. Apart from the occasional Parisian in mask, it seemed I had the city to myself. Days after departing Paris, the government announced, “All gatherings of more than 5,000 people in confined spaces will be cancelled.” Infamous sites that I had just toured, like the Louvre and Eiffel Tower, were closed indefinitely. 

On March 11, more chaos ensued as the World Health Organization’s Director General, Tedors Adhanom, declared the coronavirus a pandemic, stating, “We have rung the alarm bell loud and clear.” The following day, while I slept in my Valencia dorm, President Trump announced travel restrictions on 26 European countries, including Spain. Although the 30-day travel ban did not apply to legal residents of the United States, Spain simultaneously imposed a nationwide lockdown to combat the virus. Madrid barred travel to and from the city, and word spread that international flights would soon be suspended. In the early hours of March 12, I was awoken to program directors frantically pounding on my door. They affirmed we had a mere 24 hours to escape Spain on the final flight to Atlanta. 

I hastily packed clothes and souvenirs and boarded a bus to Madrid, leaving behind two suitcases full of belongings and many unsaid farewells to Spanish friends. After a five-hour excursion and many failed attempts to enter the city due to strict quarantine orders, I finally arrived at the Madrid-Barajas Airport. Panicked passengers in makeshift masks and hazmat suits rushed to their gates. Travelers emptied suitcases into trash cans to avoid long check-in lines. University students tearfully begged customer service for tickets home. While rushing through security, the customs officer reviewing my ticket murmured, “You’re lucky you found a flight out of here. Volver pronto,” meaning “come back soon.” On March 14, one day after my return to the United States, the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, declared a state of emergency which placed the country on lockdown and cancelled all outgoing flights. I had narrowly escaped an impending two-month state of emergency.

On March 13th, travelers in hazmat suits rush through the Madrid-Barajas Airport. Photo by Shannon Moran.

Upon arrival in Atlanta, CDC workers recommended 14-day quarantine and randomly screened a handful of passengers for fevers. On April 20, Georgia Governor Kemp disregarded public health officials by announcing, “We will allow gyms, fitness centers, bowling alleys, barbers, cosmetologists, hair designers, nail care artists, estheticians, and massage therapists to reopen their doors.” Following a chaotic return to the United States and cancellation of my study abroad experience, I continue to fear contracting and spreading COVID-19 in a state reopening. In spite of dismay and uncertainty, I witnessed the world at a pivotal moment in history. Amidst a worldwide pandemic, I visited Europe’s cultural epicenters, and volveré pronto, I will return soon.

---

Shannon Moran

Shannon is a Journalism major at the University of Georgia, minoring in English and Spanish. As a fluent Spanish speaker, she is passionate about languages, cultural immersion and human rights activism. She has visited seven countries and thirty states and hopes to continue traveling the world in pursuit of compelling stories.

Rising Number of Coronavirus Cases Heightens Concerns About Prison Populations

As calls for the world’s population to practice social distancing have ramped up, it calls in to question a certain population that cannot practice social distancing: inmates. Prisons keep inmates in very close quarters, are overcrowded, and often lack proper sanitary conditions—three conditions that go against what the general American populace has been told to do to prevent spreading the coronavirus. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommended limiting gatherings to no more than 10 people, social distancing, maintaining a six-foot distance between people, and to avoid shaking hands. Concerts, weddings, funerals, conferences, and other events were cancelled because of the precautions the CDC recommended, but it was only recently that some US states began discussing and preparing to release inmates.

Over the past two weeks the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has released inmates, reducing its inmate population by 600.

On March 19, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city will begin releasing some inmates, “including people who were arrested for minor crimes and those most vulnerable to infection due to underlying health problems,” according to the BBC. On the same day, it was reported that Rikers Island, a massive prison in NYC, saw the first confirmed case of the coronavirus in an inmate, according to Al Jazeera.

Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill announced plans to release 90 inmates from the Salt Lake County jail on March 20. As many as 200 could be released in the coming days, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.

Prisoners Cannot “Flatten the Curve”

The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world. According to a report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, “an estimated 6,613,500 persons were under the supervision of U.S. adult correctional systems on December 31, 2016.” The population far surpasses the population of cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston; only New York City has a larger population at 8,398,748 as of July 2018. Overcrowded prisons cannot practice what the CDC has recommended regarding social distancing.

Jails and prisons are often dirty and lack medical resources and hygienic materials. The CDC recommends covering your mouth with a tissue when you sneeze or cough, to wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol, and to sanitize frequently used surfaces. But it is not possible for most inmates to adhere to the CDC’s recommendations since, according to The Marshall Project, “access to toilet paper or tissues is often limited and covering your mouth can be impossible if you’re handcuffed, either because of security status or during transport to another facility.” 

At a news conference on March 10, 2018, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo revealed bottles of hand sanitizer made by New York inmates. As described in a directive from the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, inmates are not allowed to possess anything with alcohol in it. The very same inmates who are making the hand sanitizer are not allowed to possess or use it because alcohol is the main ingredient.

Health officials from all over the world have said older people and those with pre-existing medical conditions are most at risk of becoming severely ill from the coronavirus, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). According to statistics from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, about 20 percent of all inmates are older than 50. The lack of proper medical resources and materials coupled with their advanced age, means older inmates are particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus.

Asiya Haouchine

is an Algerian-American writer who graduated from the University of Connecticut in May 2016, earning a BA in journalism and English. She was an editorial intern and contributing writer for Warscapes magazine and the online/blog editor for Long River Review. She is currently studying for her Master’s in Library and Information Science. @AsiyaHaou