Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
State Department Lifts Global Travel Advisory
The Washington Post: State Department Lifts Blanket International Travel Advisory After Nearly Five Months
The State Department lifted its blanket international travel advisory Thursday, almost five months after first urging Americans against overseas travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, the department will revert to issuing recommendations on a country-specific basis. The department cited “health and safety conditions improving in some countries and potentially deteriorating in others” in its decision to alter the advisory system and said the change in method will allow travelers to make “informed decisions” based on the situation in specific countries. (O'Grady, 8/6)
The Hill: State Lifts Global Travel Warnings Amid COVID-19
The State Department on Thursday lifted its global warning for U.S. citizens traveling internationally amid the coronavirus pandemic, saying it would rate countries on a case-by-case basis given improving health and safety conditions in some areas. The agency’s Level 4 Health Advisory, its highest threat warning, was implemented in mid-March and warned Americans against any international travel. The warning came as countries around the world began shuttering their borders to limit the spread of COVID-19. (Kelly, 8/6)
In related news —
The Washington Post: ‘Love Is Not Tourism’: Couples Separated By Pandemic Travel Bans Are Fighting To Be Reunited
When Corsi Crumpler, a U.S. citizen from Texas, got pregnant last year, she never thought she would be delivering the baby without her fiance Seán Donovan at her side. But because of the U.S. and E.U. travel ban due to the pandemic, he had to remain in his home country of Ireland, forced to witness the birth of their first child by FaceTime in July. Crumpler and Donovan met in Dublin while she was on vacation and have been together since 2019. Before the travel ban, they never went more than six weeks without seeing each other, going back and forth between Ireland and the United States. (Lalisse-Jespersen, 8/5)
