Breaking: US State Dept. lifts "do not travel" global travel advisory, but COVID-19 is still a worldwide risk
The U.S. State Department just revoked the emergency "Level 4: Do Not Travel" global advisory implemented on March 19.
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"With health and safety conditions improving in some countries and potentially deteriorating in others, the Department is returning to our previous system of country-specific levels of travel advice," the department stated in a press release dated Thursday, Aug. 6. "We continue to recommend U.S. citizens exercise caution when traveling abroad due to the unpredictable nature of the pandemic."
The government directed U.S. travelers to return to its country-by-country guide to assess risk within individual countries. The State Department did not comment on the state of coronavirus cases in the U.S., nor did it offer specific guidance for U.S. travelers on preventing COVID-19 spread abroad.
The State Department previously implemented the unprecedented worldwide advisory in mid-March, right when the pandemic first went viral in the U.S. Around that time, the U.S. also implemented a travel ban against countries that had high rates of COVID-19 cases at the time, including Europe, the U.K. and South Korea. In turn, a number of foreign countries and regions have implemented reciprocal travel bans against U.S. travelers as cases continue to spike across the U.S., even while much of the rest of the world slowly continues to flatten the curve.
Related: Where can Americans travel internationally?
Despite the State Department's lifted travel advisory, the continued risk of infection remains high in the U.S., and could easily be passed to other countries via air travel. As of today, Aug. 6, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has tallied more than 4.8 million cases and over 157,000 deaths from COVID-19 within U.S. territories, including 53,685 new cases and 1,320 deaths within the last 24 hours alone.
Some states such as New York, as well as cities like Chicago, have levied mandatory quarantines for anyone entering state or city boundaries from high-risk regions that have seen a 10% or higher increase in cases over the past seven rolling days.
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- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
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Rewards Rate
10X | Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
5X | 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. |
2X | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day |
Intro Offer
Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel75,000 bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
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Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
- Excellent welcome offer worth 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) each account anniversary.
Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023