“This does not imply a re-evaluation of the current health situation in a given country, but rather reflects an adjustment in the State Department’s travel advice system to rely more on CDC’s existing epidemiological assessments,” the department said in a media statement.
In the note Monday, the department noted that “the COVID-19 pandemic still poses unprecedented risks to travelers.”
“In light of the risks, the Department of State strongly recommends that U.S. citizens reconsider all travel abroad,” he said.
“As always, we are keeping a close eye on conditions around the world, and will regularly update our destination-specific advice to U.S. travelers as conditions evolve,” he said.
There are currently about three dozen countries with the State Department’s level 4: Do not travel – the highest travel advice. U.S. citizens are being warned to travel to the countries for several reasons, including Covid-19, crime and civil unrest.
On its travel advice page, the CDC notes that “international travel poses additional risks and even fully vaccinated travelers are at greater risk of acquiring and potentially distributing new COVID-19 variants.”
“CDC recommends that you delay international travel until you are fully vaccinated,” it says.