State Department to update travel advisories to better align with CDC, leading to more ‘Do Not Travel’ countries

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“This does not imply a reassessment of the current health situation in any particular country, but rather reflects an adjustment in the State Department’s travel counseling system to rely more on CDC’s existing epidemiological assessments,” the department said in a press release.

The update to the State Department’s travel advisory system comes as the world continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, which has now claimed more than 3 million lives worldwide.

In Monday’s note, the department noted that “the COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose unprecedented risks to travelers.”

“In light of these risks, the State Department strongly recommends that US citizens reconsider all travel abroad,” it said.

As travelers face ongoing risks from the COVID-19 pandemic, the State Department will begin updating its travel advisories this week to better reflect the Centers for Disease’s science-based travel health communications. Control and Prevention (CDC), which addresses current issues with travelers’ health, “the State Department said.” Our advice also takes into account logistical factors, including the availability of tests in the country and current travel restrictions for US citizens. “

“As always, we are closely monitoring conditions around the world and will regularly update our destination-specific advice to US travelers as conditions evolve,” he noted.

There are currently about three dozen countries with the State Department’s Level 4: Do Not Travel warning – the highest of the travel advisory levels. US citizens are warned about travel to those countries for a variety of reasons, including Covid-19, crime and civil unrest.

On its travel advice page, the CDC notes that “international travel carries additional risks and that even fully vaccinated travelers are at increased risk of getting and potentially spreading new COVID-19 variants.”

“CDC recommends postponing international travel until you are fully vaccinated,” it says.

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