STORY:
Britain Issues Y2K Travel Warnings

Government has started to list countries that may have uncorrectable Y2K problems. Avoid New Year's Eve in Ukraine; beware of possible difficulties in China, Italy, Russia and Indonesia; and bring lots of cash says the British government.

Britain's Foreign Office is now making now what countries are at risk of computer Y2K related failures and should be avoided. So far, the Office lists 33 countries on the Foreign Office website with more to follow. The most likely problems would be in essential services like transport, telecommunications, banking and the provision of medicines and food, the Foreign Office said.

In the Ukraine, "negative effects" were to be feared in the finance, banking, transport, power, defense and social service sectors, the foreign office advised. The office is now advising against all holiday and non-essential travel to the area.

In Indonesia, public sector hospitals, medical centers and rural medical facilities appeared to have made little or no preparations. British officials believe there is a risk of widespread disruption in the health sector.

In China, "hospitals face the problem of large numbers of items with embedded chips and the difficulty of getting adequate information from suppliers."

In Italy, there are concerns over the supply of gas, over which the Italians have little control, says the Foreign Office.

In Russia, four hundred out of the country's 600 airports anticipate difficulties caused by the millennium glitch, and 40 percent of the country's power supplies could be affected says the Foreign Office.

And in France, Eurotunnel has decided not to run passenger trains through the tunnel under the English Channel during the night of December 31, it noted.

Source: Agence France Presse

DATE: 09/14/99

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