CDC adds several countries to its 'avoid travel' list, including Aruba, France, Israel and Thailand
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added several more countries to its "avoid travel" list, including many that have become very popular with Americans.
Aruba, France, French Polynesia, Iceland, Israel and Thailand all got the CDC's highest designation, "Level 4: Very High Level of COVID-19," Aug. 9. Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, is also now on the Level 4 list.
According to World Health Organization data, all have seen an increase in COVID-19 cases.
As an example, here is how the CDC describes the warning for Aruba:
- Avoid travel to Aruba.
- If you must travel to Aruba, make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel.
- Because of the current situation in Aruba, even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants.
- See recommendations for fully vaccinated travelers.
- See recommendations for unvaccinated travelers.
- Travelers should follow recommendations or requirements in Aruba, including wearing a mask and staying 6 feet apart from others.
- Quick guide for travelers.
Greece, Ireland, Curaçao, St. Martin, St. Barts and the U.S. Virgin Islands were added to the Level 4 list on Aug. 2.
The U.S. Department of State has its own rankings. Those rankings range from Level 1 to Level 4, though they don't always line up with CDC warnings.
The State Department also issued similar "Level 4: Do not travel" advisories for Iceland, France and French Polynesia today.
For France, the State Department says:
"Do not travel to France due to COVID-19. ... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice for France due to COVID-19 indicating a very high level of COVID-19 in the country. There are restrictions in place affecting U.S. citizen entry into France."
Take a look at the color-coded map here for more information from the State Department.
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