U.S. adds Mexico, Brazil, Peru and others to "Do Not Travel" list as COVID-19 cases rise globally

As COVID-19 cases spike around the world, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and State Department have both added a number of countries to their "Do Not Travel" lists. The CDC website has updated the agency's travel advisory list and added several destinations to its “Level 4: COVID-19 Very High” warning list. The CDC warns all travelers, even if they're vaccinated, to avoid visiting locations categorized as Level 4.

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The countries and territories added to the CDC's Level 4 earlier this week include:

• Anguilla
• Brazil
• Chile
• Ecuador
• French Guiana
• Kosovo
• Mexico
• Moldova
• Paraguay
• Saint Vincent
• The Grenadines
• Singapore
• The Philippines

Several of these countries, especially Mexico, are popular destinations for Americans. But high levels of COVID-19 are not the only reason why U.S. authorities are advising people not to travel there. The State Department also added Mexico to its "Level 4: Do Not Travel" category.

Related: CDC warns against travel to Caribbean nations due to COVID-19 danger

The shooting death of two Canadian tourists in January at a five-star resort in Playa Del Carmen led the U.S. Consulate General Merida to issue a terse warning about potential danger in Mexico for tourists. "In light of recent security incidents and criminal activity in popular tourist destinations including Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, and Tulum, U.S. citizens are reminded to exercise increased caution when traveling to the state of Quintana Roo," the statement read. "Criminal activity and violence may occur throughout the state, including areas frequented by U.S. citizen visitors."

The State Department also updated its travel advisory list, adding 12 destinations to “Level 4: Do Not Travel” and moving 12 countries and territories to “Level 3: Reconsider Travel.”

The countries added to Level 4 include:

• Anguilla
• Belarus
• Brazil
• Ecuador
• Kosovo
• Mexico
• Moldova
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Philippines
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Singapore

The updated Level 3 list finds destinations such as Bhutan, Brunei, Chile, Comoros, French Polynesia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Liberia, Nepal, Oman and The Gambia added. We should note that while the State Department manages its own travel advisory lists and takes other factors into account besides COVID-19, its advisories typically mirror those of the CDC.

This week's changes continue a recent pattern that has seen the CDC and State Department update their travel advisories and recommending against travel to countries and territories that include Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Fiji, Jamaica, Guadaloupe, Kuwait, Mongolia, Niger, Peru, Romania, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, Tunisia and United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Related: Confused by the State Dept. advisories? Here’s what they mean

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