With COVID-19 conditions improving, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has eased its travel recommendations on dozens of countries and territories, including Canada, Mexico, much of Europe and Japan, where next month’s Olympics are being held.


What You Need To Know

  • The CDC has eased its travel recommendations on dozens of countries and territories, including Canada, Mexico, much of Europe and Japan, where next month’s Olympics are being held

  • Before Monday, there had been 140 countries and territories on the CDC’s Level 4 list; now there are 61

  • In response to the CDC changes, the State Department issued a flurry of revised travel advisories Tuesday

  • The vast majority of those places that have been lowered have been given Level 3 status — travel the CDC say unvaccinated people should avoid if nonessential 

Before Monday, there had been 140 countries and territories on the CDC’s Level 4 list, which the agency describes as locations where COVID-19 is “very high.” The CDC recommended that Americans “avoid travel to these destinations. If you must travel to these destinations, make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel.”

Sixty-one countries and territories remain on the Level 4 list

In response to the CDC changes, the State Department issued a flurry of revised travel advisories Tuesday. That included lowering Japan from Level 4 “do not travel” status to a Level 3 “reconsider travel” designation. 

The State Department advised against traveling to Japan last month amid a spike in coronaviruses cases there. The move drew much attention because Tokyo will host the Olympics — and the 15,000 athletes that participate in them — beginning July 23.

The vast majority of places that saw their CDC recommendations eased now have Level 3 status, defined locations where the COVID-19 threat is “high.” The agency still discourages nonessential travel to those destinations for unvaccinated travelers. 

In addition to Japan, Canada and Mexico, those locations also include France, Germany, Italy, Puerto Rico and Russia.

Some countries that remain on the Level 4 list are Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, India, Jamaica, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.

The CDC posted the changes to its website Monday but did not announce them. The agency confirmed the revisions to Reuters, which was the first to report on them.

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