Since January 30, 2020, when the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization (“WHO”) declared the outbreak of the current novel coronavirus (now officially designated by WHO as “coronavirus disease 2019,” abbreviated as “COVID-19”), the total number of cases globally has now reached 80,980, and nearly 3,000 have died. While all but 55 of reported deaths are in China, more new cases were reported outside China than inside for the first time this week, on February 25, 2020. The first case in Latin America was detected in Brazil; Germany is declaring an epidemic; and the United States is bracing for an outbreak, with the president tapping Vice President Pence to coordinate the US response.
Among the issues employers need to address is managing the myriad travel restrictions stemming from host governments as multiple countries and localities seek to prevent further spread of the virus. Mayer Brown’s COVID-19 Global Travel Restrictions by Country, a Global People Solution™ travel tool, provides a summary of the latest country reports Mayer Brown has received regarding travel restrictions.
The information included in Mayer Brown’s COVID-19 Global Travel Restrictions by Country is subject to change and is not a substitute for legal advice. The Mobile Workforce blog will provide updated reports of global travel developments received by Mayer Brown, which will be pushed out to subscribers. We also will be posting updated versions of our tool on the blog.
The International Air Transport Association (“IATA”) reporting site, Government Measures Relating to Coronavirus, which includes links to respective reporting authorities, provides another resource for employers to review global travel developments. Because of the changing state of play, travel restrictions, quarantine risks, airline capabilities and health vulnerabilities need to be confirmed in individual instances.