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.
FILE PHOTO: Women and children walks past personnel in protective clothing after arriving on an aircraft, chartered by the U.S. State Department to evacuate government employees and other Americans from the novel coronavirus threat in the Chinese city of Wuhan, at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County, California, U.S., January 29, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
“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.
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.
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