WASHINGTON: The US has advised its citizens not to go to Myanmar and raised its travel advisory for the country to level 4 amid a deteriorating situation. In an advisory on Tuesday, the US Department of State said it had ordered all non-emergency government employees and their family members to leave the South-East Asian country "due to COVID-19 as well as areas of civil unrest and armed violence", DPA news agency reported.
The department had authorized the "voluntary departure" of non-emergency government employees and their families on February 14. "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice for Burma due to COVID-19," the advisory said.
"The Burmese military has detained and deposed elected government officials. Protests and demonstrations against military rule have occurred and are expected to continue."
The advisory also listed areas in the country subject to "heightened civil unrest" and "armed violence" in different degrees and warned that the US government has "limited ability to provide emergency services" to citizens in certain areas. (IANS)