Washington
CNN
—
The State Department announced Monday that it would begin updating its travel advisories to more closely align them with those of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventiona change that “will result in a significant increase in the number of countries at Level 4: Do Not Travel, up to approximately 80% of countries worldwide.”
“This does not imply a reassessment of the current health situation in a given country, but rather reflects an adjustment to the State Department’s travel advisory system to rely more heavily on existing CDC epidemiologic assessments,” the department said in a media note.
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 lives. more than 3 million lives worldwide.
In a note published Monday, the ministry stressed that “the COVID-19 pandemic continues to present unprecedented risks to travelers.”
“In light of these risks, the State Department strongly recommends that U.S. citizens reconsider any travel abroad,” he said.
“As travelers face ongoing risks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of State will begin updating its travel advisories this week to better reflect the scientific recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Travel Health Notice “These advisories describe current issues affecting the health of travelers,” the State Department said. “Our advisories also take into account logistical factors, including the availability of testing in the country and current travel restrictions for U.S. citizens.”
“As always, we are closely monitoring conditions around the world and will regularly update our destination-specific advice to U.S. travelers as conditions evolve,” he noted.
There are currently about 30 countries where the State Department has issued a Level 4 no-travel advisory, the highest level of travel advisories. U.S. citizens are being warned not to travel to these countries for a variety of reasons, including COVID-19, crime, and civil unrest.
On its travel advisory page, the CDC notes that “international travel poses additional risks, and even fully vaccinated travelers are at increased risk of contracting and possibly spreading new variants of COVID-19.”
“The CDC recommends delaying international travel until you are fully vaccinated,” it says.
