According to a press release issued by the FDA, the agency is postponing most foreign inspections through April, effective immediately, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Inspections outside the U.S. deemed mission-critical will still be considered on a case-by-case basis.
The FDA based this decision on a number of factors, including State Department Level 4 travel advisories in which travel is prohibited for U.S. government employees, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention travel recommendations, access restrictions being imposed on foreign visitors by certain countries, guidance from the Office of Personnel Management and the importance of the health and safety of its employees, the agency reports.