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Video: The White House recorded in late 2019; and the John F. Kennedy International Airport recorded on March 15, 2020. (Xinhua/Hu Yousong)Level 4, known as "Do Not Travel," is the highest warning of the travel advisory.
WASHINGTON, March 19 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. State Department on Thursday raised travel advisory to Level 4, which instructs its citizens to avoid all international travels amid the global outbreak of the coronavirus.
In countries where commercial departure options remain available, U.S. citizens who live in the United States but are currently overseas should arrange for immediate return to the United States, unless they are prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period, according to the department's travel advisory website.
Passengers walk out of Terminal 1 at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, the United States, March 13, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)
Level 4, known as "Do Not Travel," is the highest warning of the travel advisory. The State Department issued the Level 3 travel advisory last Wednesday, calling on U.S. citizens to reconsider travel abroad.
A Politico report said that the move might be unprecedented. "Several current and former U.S. diplomats, some of them with several decades of experience, said they do not recall such a travel advisory ever being issued in the past," according to the report.
A staff member wearing a face mask is seen at San Francisco International Airport, the United States, March 15, 2020. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)
There are several reports on U.S. citizens abroad who are unable to return to the country. The New York Times reported Thursday that a lot of American travelers stranded in Morocco and received limited help from the U.S. embassy.
The Trump administration has adopted a series of entry measures recently. The White House announced Wednesday that the U.S.-Canada border would be closed to nonessential travel. Besides, U.S. travel restrictions against European countries have also come into force.
Photo taken on March 10, 2020 shows a plane approaching to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)
The announcement came amid the rapid spread of COVID-19 across the United States. According to the latest update by Johns Hopkins University, there are currently more than 11,000 confirmed cases and 157 deaths related to the coronavirus in the country.
(Article by Liu Pinran) ■
