By Humeyra Pamuk
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Americans abroad still lack a sense of urgency to get back home even though the coronavirus pandemic has intensified, a senior State Department official said on Wednesday, urging them to return now unless they are prepared to remain overseas indefinitely.
“If you were on a beach when an earthquake struck, you wouldn’t just stand there, waiting for the coming tsunami. You would head for higher ground immediately,” said Ian Brownlee, principal deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Consular Affairs at the State Department, told reporters in a teleconference.
“Well, in this case the earthquake has happened. It’s time to seek higher ground now, and not hope for rescue later,” he said. He added that some Americans overseas that the Department contacted would respond by saying they would get back in touch in a couple of weeks instead of making a decision now.
The stark analogy comes after the United States has already repatriated more than 30,000 Americans from over 60 countries on more than 350 flights as the outbreak, which originated late last year in China, has now killed more than 45,490 people and infected more than 911,000 globally.
Many commercial airlines have severely reduced or halted their flights to the United States as the pandemic prompted governments across the globe to close their borders and impose nationwide lockdowns.
“Sometimes, people get to the front of the queue and then say, ‘No, thank you, I am going to stay here’,” Brownlee said, warning that could be too late.
“Come on in and talk to us and we’ll help you get home now,” he said. “But we are saying, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do this weeks from now,” he said.
More than 80 repatriation flights scheduled from various locations were in planning stages, with Americans in South Asia, Central America and South America showing the greatest interest in heading home, Brownlee said.
He added that another 24,000 Americans have also indicated they may seek repatriation.
The United States last month raised its travel alert to its highest level for the whole world, urging them not to travel while asking U.S. citizens abroad to return home immediately unless they are prepared to stay where they are indefinitely.
(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
