Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

To get the latest information, visit:

• https://www.coronavirus.gov
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) page at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus
• https://www.usa.gov/coronavirus (Spanish: https://gobierno.usa.gov/coronavirus)  to learn more about the U.S. Government response to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

What the Department of State Is Doing

The Department of State is taking decisive action to inform and safeguard U.S. citizens overseas, protect the homeland, advance the Administration’s commitment to building global health security capacity for this and future outbreaks, and reduce the impact for U.S. companies and supply chains overseas.

Travel Advisories

The Department of State advises U.S. citizens to avoid all international travel due to the global impact of COVID-19.  Learn More →

All State Department Travel Advisories →

Bringing Americans Home

The Department of State is rising to meet the historic challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, every day, all over the world. The U.S. Government has no higher priority than the protection of American citizens. The State Department has launched an unprecedented global effort to bring home our citizens from every corner of the globe and has repatriated thousands of Americans from multiple countries. Our teams, working around-the-clock in Washington and overseas, will bring home thousands more in the coming days, from every region of the world.

State Department Repatriation Statistics  →

International Aid

At President Trump’s direction, the Administration is deploying the full range of U.S. resources to contain and prevent the spread of COVID-19 not just at home, but also across the globe:

• The United States is prepared to spend up to $100 million in existing State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funds to assist affected and at-risk countries to contain and combat the virus.
• USAID has already committed $37 million in assistance and protective equipment for more than 25 countries around the world.
• Additionally, the United States has offered to provide humanitarian assistance and medical supplies to the Iranian people, who, as of March 3, have suffered from the largest number of deaths outside of the PRC.

The U.S. Department of State has facilitated the delivery of medical supplies internationally to stem the spread of the disease, including transport of 17.8 tons of donated relief supplies to Hubei province in China. This assistance helps protect U.S citizens by containing the spread of COVID-19.

The State Department Team is Working Tirelessly to Address the Outbreak.

On December 31, 2019, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of pneumonia cases of an unknown origin in Wuhan, China. The outbreak of a novel (new) coronavirus — designated COVID-19 — was identified and subsequently declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) by the WHO. On January 31, 2020, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II declared a public health emergency (PHE) for the United States to aid the nation’s health care community in responding to COVID-19.

The Department of State is taking decisive action to inform and safeguard U.S. citizens overseas, protect the homeland, advance the Administration’s commitment to building global health security capacity for this and future outbreaks, and reduce the impact for U.S. companies and supply chains overseas.

This page provides public statements, testimony, and resources from the Department of State relating to COVID-19. U.S. citizens traveling or residing overseas can access the Department’s Travel Advisories and country-specific information at the travel.state.gov website, and additional detailed information on COVID-19 can be accessed from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) portal here.

At President Trump’s direction, the Administration is deploying the full range of U.S. resources to contain and prevent the spread of COVID-19 not just at home, but also across the globe. In today’s globally interconnected world, the emergence of an infectious disease anywhere can represent a threat to public health everywhere. Our national security and domestic economic prosperity require robust investment in global health security. The State Department and the whole of the U.S. Government are focused on maximum transparency and ensuring that all necessary information available, particularly that of the medical experts and professionals of the CDC and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is utilized to the benefit of the American people.

Our team here in Washington — and at our embassies and consulates across the globe — is working tirelessly to address the outbreak:

Protecting the Homeland

The Department’s priority is protecting the United States and slowing the spread of the virus. We’ve implemented prudent travel restrictions, in conjunction with our interagency partners, for individuals who have been present in areas deemed high-risk by U.S. health authorities. To help protect U.S. citizens traveling or living abroad, we continually update our country-specific Travel Advisories and issue timely Alerts to keep U.S. citizen travelers informed and safe.

Engaging with Partners and Allies

The Department is actively working with international partners and governments to combat the spread of the outbreak. Reaffirming the centrality of diplomacy every step of the way, we have remained in close communication and tight coordination with affected countries as the U.S. Government implements necessary travel restrictions or issues advisory updates to ensure bilateral relations remain strong in the face of prudent and robust public health measures. The U.S. Government has briefed more than 100 officials from more than 70 nations. We are also working with international public and private sector partners, including the WHO, to rapidly enhance our knowledge of the virus, inform our public health decisions, and accelerate the research and development of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.

Assisting U.S. Citizens Across the World

We are committed to ensuring the welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad. Across the globe, our team has worked around the clock to assist U.S. citizens overseas who have found themselves in harm’s way. In an extraordinary effort, we evacuated over 1,100 people to the United States in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, in close coordination with CDC and HHS public health experts. Such repatriation flights do not reflect our standard practice and we continue to recommend U.S. citizens use commercial travel options and follow the advice of local authorities. We will continue working with our international partners to combat the outbreak, provide assistance to those who remain overseas, and minimize the risks to our citizens around the world.

Keeping U.S. Citizen Travelers Informed

The Department is working tirelessly to provide U.S. travelers with timely, accurate information regarding this rapidly evolving situation. The Department uses a wide range of tools, including Travel Advisories and Alerts, to communicate clear, timely, and reliable safety and security information that helps U.S. citizens make informed decisions about travel overseas. We have issued numerous Travel Advisories and Alerts in recent weeks to advise U.S. citizen travelers on conditions in different countries. Every U.S. Embassy and Consulate has also updated its website so that U.S. citizens in every country around the globe have access to the latest information on COVID-19. We will continue to update this information frequently, and encourage U.S. citizens to read our latest Travel Advisories in their entirety and to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP.state.gov) to receive further updates.

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