The State Department said Monday it will expand its advice on “don’t travel” to about 80 percent of countries around the world amid a rise in COVID-19, Reuters reported.
According to Reuters, the State Department had already listed 34 countries as “Level 4: Don’t travel,” including Chad, Kosovo, Kenya, Brazil, Argentina, Haiti, Mozambique, Russia, and Tanzania. Reaching 80% would add about 130 countries, the media reported.
“This alignment better reflects the current, unpredictable and constantly evolving threat posed by covid-19,” the department said in an email, according to the Washington Post. “We continue to strongly recommend U.S. citizens to reconsider all travel abroad and postpone their travel if possible.”
Most Americans were prevented from traveling to many European countries during the pandemic, and Washington has banned almost all non-American citizens who have recently been to much of Europe, China, Brazil, Iran and South Africa due to coronavirus variants that health experts say are more contagious.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said earlier this month that people fully vaccinated against the virus can travel safely at low risk, but the CDC director Rochelle WalenskyRochelle Walensky Five global concerns over Johnson & Johnson CDC vaccine break: Half of U.S. adults have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine Healing the deep wounds of racism, starting with our black mothers and babies MORE he urged Americans not to do so.
“We know we have a growing number of cases right now. I would advocate for travel in general,” Walensky said, according to Reuters. “We do not recommend traveling at this time, especially for unvaccinated people.”