State Department and CDC advise against travel to Spain and Portugal
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and State Department have both warned Americans against traveling to the popular European destinations of Spain and Portugal, as well as Cyprus and Kyrgystan.
The State Department has issued "Do Not Travel" advisories, while the CDC has raised its travel advisory to "Level 4: Very High" for these countries.
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The new advice comes as a result of increased cases of COVID-19 in these countries, though current rates remain much lower than spikes over the past winter, which sent most European countries into strict and prolonged lockdowns.
Spain and Portugal would normally welcome thousands of American tourists during their busy summer tourist seasons. Both countries had been allowing tourists from the U.S. since June of this year — Spain currently does not require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for entry for U.S. citizens traveling to Spain.
Portugal allows entry U.S. citizens entry for tourism purposes on the presentation of a negative COVID-19 test (or proof of recovery from COVID-19 in the previous 90 days), regardless of vaccination status.
Related: Airlines are rushing to add preflight COVID testing. Here's why it matters
Advice for Americans traveling to Europe this summer continues to change regularly. Despite England removing most social distancing restrictions on July 19 as a result of its successful vaccination rollout, the CDC and State Department at the same time advise against travel to the United Kingdom.
Anyone planning to travel to anywhere in Europe should check both CDC and State Department advice regularly before commencing travel.
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