Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Overall risk level Medium Exercise caution Not completely safe, but typically presents predictable security risks Travel is possible, but there is a potential for disruptions Overview Emergency Numbers Medical 911 Upcoming Events 01 September 2021 - 02 September 2021 Medium risk: American Airlines to suspend flights between Los Angeles and Sydney from 1 September American Airlines officials announced that they will suspend their customer and cargo flights between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX/KLAX) in California, the United States, and Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD/YSSY) in Australia from 1 September through 28 October, due to increased travel restrictions triggered by COVID-19. 07 September 2021 - 08 September 2021 Moderate risk: Southwest Airlines to reduce flights from 7 September Southwest Airlines representatives announced that around 27 flights per day will be cancelled from 7 September-6 October, and 162 flights per day will be cancelled from 7 October-5 November, due to operational issues. 13 September 2021 - 14 September 2021 Moderate risk: Hawaiian Airlines flights between Honolulu and Pago Pago to resume from 13 September – Update Local sources indicated that some Hawaiian Airlines flights between Pago Pago Airport (PPG/NSTU) in American Samoa and Hawaii's Honolulu Airport (HNL/PHNL) in the United States (US), will resume from 13 September, following COVID-19 related travel suspensions. Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 / United States of America 2 Travel Advisories Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 / United States of America 3 High risk: Anti-police violence protests in urban hubs Travellers are advised to exercise a high degree of caution in urban hubs across the United States in the near-term, due to unrest surrounding anti-police violence demonstrations. Anti-police violence demonstrations began in response to the death of a 46-year-old African- American man, George Floyd, during his arrest on 25 May 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. During the incident, a police officer kept his knee on Floyd’s throat for several minutes, as Floyd expressed his distress and subsequently fell unconscious. The incident intensified existing tensions between police and the local community, triggering large-scale protests in Minneapolis- St Paul. While the demonstration condemning his death began peacefully, the protests spiralled into clashes with police by the end of the day, with riot officers using tear gas and stun grenades in an attempt to disperse protesters. Multiple establishments, including the 3rd Police Precinct, were torched, vandalised or looted overnight and the retail chain Target shut down all its stores in the region. Following the arrest of the officers involved in the incident and a weeklong overnight curfew, city and state officials began to lift the restrictive measures and allowed public transport to resume. Solidarity demonstrations, as well as clashes, took place in dozens of other cities from 30-31 May. In response to the clashes and damages, multiple cities imposed curfews in an attempt to curb the unrest and have sporadically lifted and reimposed them in response to local events. The protests remain ongoing in hundreds of cities, including Washington, D.C., Baltimore (Maryland), Des Moines (Iowa), Denver and Aurora (Colorado), Atlanta (Georgia), Chicago (Illinois), Boise (Idaho), Memphis and Nashville (Tennessee), Albuquerque (New Mexico), New Orleans (Louisiana), Louisville (Kentucky), Portland (Maine), Miami, Orlando, Tampa and Tallahassee (Florida), Boston (Massachusetts), Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton and Cleveland (Ohio), New York City, Albany, Syracuse and Buffalo (New York), Portland and Salem (Oregon), Seattle and Olympia (Washington), Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania), Providence (Rhode Island), Detroit and Kalamzaoo (Michigan), Milwaukee, Madison and Kenosha (Wisconsin), Indianapolis and Bloomington (Indiana), Birmingham and Montgomery (Alabama), Oakland, Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Jose, Sacramento, Compton, San Diego, Huntington Beach and San Francisco (California), Omaha (Nebraska), Greesnboro, Durham, Fayetteville and Raleigh (North Carolina), Richmond, Porsmouth and Arlington (Virginia), Newark and Atlantic City (New Jersey), Little Rock (Arkansas), Phoenix and Tucson (Arizona), Salt Lake City (Utah), Charleston (South Carolina), Wilmington (Delaware) and Austin, San Antonio, Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler, El Paso and Houston (Texas). The National Guard has also been called to support police in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Washington, D.C. and Wisconsin. Activists have called for nonviolent protests to continue in the weeks and months ahead as federal and state leaders debate police reform legislation. Travellers are advised to exercise a high degree of caution in urban hubs across the United States in the near-term, due to unrest surrounding anti-police demonstrations. Anticipate heightened security and overland travel disruptions near protests. Plot routes to avoid travel nearby. Demonstrations can spiral into violence with little to no warning. At protests, wear a mask due to the risk of COVID-19 transmission and try to maintain social distance. Leave the scene of unrest, including the use of riot control agents like tear gas, sound grenades and non-lethal rounds. Note that police vehicles and precincts have been targets of arson and vandalism. Comply with all official directives. Curfews, public transport suspension and other restrictions have been announced on short notice; track local media to stay informed of situational updates. Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 / United States of America 4 Summary The United States of America (USA) is a Medium Risk destination: exercise caution. Medium Risk locations are not completely safe, but typically present predictable security risks. Travel is possible, but there is a potential for disruptions. Covid-19 Medium Risk Authorities have imposed international travel restrictions from late February 2020 – one month after the first cases were detected in the country – and nationwide social distancing guidelines from late March 2020. The country has the highest case and fatality figures in the world. From March 2020, stay-at-home lockdown began to be implemented as the virus spread across the country. All states began reopening as of June 2020 at widely varying paces, before reimposing restrictions from October 2020, and then moving once more to lift most remaining measures as of April 2021 while implementing vaccination campaigns. Approximately 100,000 cases per day were reported nationwide as of August 2021. Authorities warned of rising case numbers as the Delta virus variant spreads. Political Instability Moderate Risk The United States is a liberal democratic state with a federal political structure characterised by a relatively high degree of political stability until the 2020 presidential election. The election culminated in a failed attempt by supporters of former President Donald Trump to storm the US Capitol to overturn the victory of President Joe Biden on 6 January 2021. President Biden's first term will be defined by the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic and handling the fallout of his rivals' attempts to delegitimize his election. Conflict Low Risk The US does not face any significant external threats. US military forces are engaged in counter- terrorism actions worldwide including signifcant on-the-ground deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq. Foreign military threats to the homeland are negligible. Terrorism Medium Risk There is a threat from both domestic and international terrorism to the United States. Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda have repeatedly warned of planned attacks on American soil and dozens of plots have been disrupted since 11 September 2001. However, self-identified members of anti- government, white nationalist domestic extremist groups and self-styled lone-wolf terrorists are now regarded as a "higher threat" than conventional international jihadists. Unrest Moderate Risk In recent years, growing racial, social and economic issues have prompted widespread demonstrations, some of which have resulted in significant disruptions and closures. Protest campaigns in the summer of 2020 triggered hundreds of rallies across the country, some of which ended in violence and looting. While the scale and scope of the 2020 summer unrest was uniquely compounded by tensions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, race relations and the policies of the Trump administration, all local protests retain the potential to become sustained events with national impact due to partisan politics and intense media coverage. Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 / United States of America 5 Crime Moderate Risk Crime rates in the United States are high, but vary from state to state and from urban to rural areas. Travellers' exact itineraries will determine their risk level. Tourists are often targeted for petty crimes such as pickpocketing, particularly on public transport. Although rates of violent crime, including murder, are higher in the US than Western Europe, these crimes are rarely committed against travellers. Gangs and organised criminal networks