Dear Colleagues,
By now, you have probably heard that the State Department has lowered the Global Level 4 Travel Advisory and has returned to publishing travel advisories on a country by country basis, including COVID-19 considerations by country. U.S. embassies are also contributing information to State Department via their own COVID pages.
The State Department today has also provided an update on U.S. passport applications. Their site indicates that they will update progress on processing the backlog of U.S. passport applications every Thursday.
The CDC has also announced a change from the Global Level 3 advisory to determining risk by individual country analysis. Their Travel Health Notices page inform travelers and clinicians about any current health issues that impact travelers’ health, and specific COVID-19 Travel Recommendations by Country highlight a variety of levels. They have also published information about their process for assessing the level of a country’s COVID-19 risk on an ongoing basis.
Finally, as Congress debates the next COVID-19 economic relief package, the Council of Graduate Schools has developed a discussion document on key elements of the Republican relief package and a comparison of higher education provisions included in the CARES Act, the HEROES Act, and the HEALS Act. The Forum encourages members to contact Congressional leaders urging support for federal economic relief for higher education and various education abroad stakeholders.
Best regards,
Melissa Torres
President and CEO, The Forum on Education Abroad
