The new list of 150 countries to which the United States recommends “not to travel”

The US State Department this week added at least 116 countries to its list of “level four: do not travel” recommendations, including the UK, Canada, France, Israel, Mexico and Germany, between others, citing a “very high rate.” of COVID-19 ”.

On Monday, the State Department said it would increase the number of countries that receive its highest warning rate to around 80% of countries in the world.

By Tuesday, the State Department listed 34 out of about 200 countries under the “Do not travel” category. State Department now includes 150 countries at level four. The agency declined to specify when it will complete the updates.

The State Department said Monday that The change does not imply a reassessment of the current health situation in some countries, but rather “reflects an adjustment of the State Department’s travel recommendation system to rely more on existing epidemiological assessments (from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). United States) “.

the recommendations are not mandatory and they don’t prevent Americans from traveling.

The other countries on the “Do not travel” list are Finland, Egypt, Belgium, Turkey, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland and Spain.

In exchange, some countries like China and Japan remain at level 3: reconsider travel ”.

In turn, 16 countries, such as South Korea or Rwanda, are in category 2, precautions to be taken. Only one country remains in category 1 (take normal precautions): the Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan.

Most Americans had previously been barred from traveling to much of Europe due to restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic. Washington has banned nearly all non-U.S. Citizens who have recently visited most of Europe, China, Brazil, Iran, and South Africa.

On Tuesday, the United States extended by 30 days the 13-month restrictions in place that ban non-essential travel at its borders with Canada and Mexico.

Nick Calio, who heads Airlines for America, a trade group representing major US airlines, told a US Senate committee Wednesday that policymakers should establish a “road map” to reopen international travel.

Earlier this month, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said fully vaccinated people can travel safely to the United States under “low risk” conditions, but its director, Rochelle Walensky, advised Americans against doing so due to the increase in coronavirus cases across the country.

The list of countries at level 4 – Do not travel:

Afghanistan, Albania, Germany, Andorra, Antarctica, Antigua and Barbuda, French Antilles, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Bermuda, Belarus, Burma (Myanmar) , Bolivia, Bonaire, Saint-Eustache-et-Saba, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Canada, Chad, Chile, Cyprus, Colombia, Comoros, North Korea (People’s Republic Democratic Republic of Korea), Costa de arfil, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Eritrea, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Estonia, Ethiopia, Philippines, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Greece, Guatemala, French Guiana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Ireland, Solomon Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Israel, West Bank and Gaza, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan , Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Bahamas, Lesotho, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Liechtenstein ein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, North Macedonia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Oman, Netherlands, Pakistan , Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, United Kingdom, Central African Republic, Czech Republic, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominican Republic, Romania, Russia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Santo Tomé and Principe, Serbia, Seychelles, Syria, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Suriname, Tanzania, Tajikistan, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Tuvalu, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Yemen.

(With information from Reuters)

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