Travel Warning
United States Department of State
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Washington, DC 20520
TRAVEL WARNING ON CHINA
The Department of State has issued a warning notice, updated to May 10, advising that all non-essential travel to China be deferred or cancelled. The Junior Olympics are scheduled to be held in China in September. While official Chinese newscasts say the problem has not spread to the Shanghai area, which is closer to the geographic nexus of the Junior Olympics, those same newscasts warn that Beijing residents are fleeing south and could be carrying the disease with them.
At this time, SPY has heard nothing further from ISF, nor has ASA as of yesterday, but sources close to ISF's Don Porter say he is considering alternatives. Knowing Porter, SPY predicts he is actively pursuing alternatives and will announce soon that an alternative site has been found. Put away your chopsticks.
The official US government announcement is printed in full:
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Travel Warning |
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May 6, 2003
This Travel Warning is being revised to inform U.S. citizens of updated requirements of the government of China for anyone exhibiting Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS-like symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of State continue to recommend U.S. citizens consider deferring non-essential travel to China because of SARS concerns. This supersedes the Travel Warning of April 16, 2003.
As a precautionary measure due to the SARS situation, in early April, the Department of State authorized the departure, on a voluntary basis, of non-emergency employees and all family members at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and the U.S. Consulates General in Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenyang. The Embassy and all Consulates General remain open to provide the full range of services to American citizens and the general public. The Department of State also alerts Americans to China's current practices with respect to SARS. These are subject to change. Authorities in some areas have announced stringent new quarantine measures, which could result in the isolation of large numbers of people or entire neighborhoods. Inspection teams conduct health checks at the airports, railway stations, long-distance bus terminals and highway checkpoints. SARS related restrictions on internal travel and even international border closings have been announced and are subject to change on a daily basis. Any individual in China, including foreigners, who displays SARS-related symptoms may be sent to a designated hospital until the SARS' contagious phase has passed. In some locations the patient may not be able to receive visitors, including his/her own doctor or family members.
All of these factors, in addition
to continuing uncertainties about how SARS is spread and concerns about
obtaining suitable medical care and/or evacuating those who contract SARS, led
to the Department’s decision to authorize the voluntary departure of official
non-emergency employees and all family members from China.
The CDC recommends U.S. citizens defer elective or non-essential travel to areas
with a large number of SARS cases, including Mainland China. U.S. citizens
resident or traveling in these areas should closely monitor the website of the Center
for Disease Control and Prevention at http://www.cdc.gov and the website of
the World Health Organization at http://www.who.int
for the latest information on SARS.
For further information on travel
to China, U.S. citizens should also consult the Consular
Information Sheets for China and the SARS
Public Announcement at http://travel.state.gov.