The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have updated travel recommendations for more than 110 countries and territories, including Japan just before the Olympics.
The new recommendations, first reported by Reuters and published on a CDC website on Monday, include 61 countries that fell one notch from the highest rating: Level 4, which recommends not traveling if not is fully vaccinated.
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Another 50 countries and territories have reached level 1 and 2
.
These lower-risk countries for COVID-19 infection now include Singapore, Israel, South Korea, Iceland, Belize, and Albania.
Those now listed at Tier 3 include France, Ecuador, the Philippines, South Africa, Canada, Mexico, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Honduras, Hungary, and Italy.
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On May 24, the State Department had urged not to travel to Japan, citing a new wave of coronavirus cases before the Tokyo Olympics begin on July 23.
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The State Department warning raised concern and prompted the White House to reaffirm its support for the plan to hold the Olympics in Tokyo this summer, despite the low
vaccination
rate
.
Free travel masks at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Monday, March 1, 2021.AP Photo / Ted S. Warren
The CDC explained that the change came after it had updated its eligibility criteria for travel.
The agency said that the new criteria for recommending that all trips be avoided, this is alert level 4,
changed from 100 cases per 100,000 inhabitants to 500 cases per 100,000 people
.
Currently, the United States continues to prohibit entry to the country of most non-citizens who have been in the last 14 days in China, the United Kingdom, Ireland, India, South Africa, Brazil, Iran and the 26 Schengen nations of Europe without border controls .
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When CDC Director Rochelle Walensky was asked why the United States maintained restrictions for some countries that had low infection rates, while others with higher rates were exempt, the doctor said that was subject to “a conversation between agencies ”.
Reuters reported on Tuesday that the Biden Administration is forming expert working groups with Canada, Mexico, the European Union and the United Kingdom to determine the best way to safely restart travel after 15 months of pandemic restrictions, citing a White House official.
With information from Reuters.
