MEDIA NOTE
OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON
APRIL 19, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose unprecedented risks to travelers. In light of those risks, the Department of State strongly recommends U.S. citizens reconsider all travel abroad.
As travelers face ongoing risks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of State will begin updating its Travel Advisories this week to better reflect the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) science-based Travel Health Notices that outline current issues affecting travelers’ health. Our Advisories also take into account logistical factors, including in-country testing availability and current travel restrictions for U.S. citizens.
This update will result in a significant increase in the number of countries at Level 4: Do Not Travel, to approximately 80% of countries worldwide. This does not imply a reassessment of the current health situation in a given country, but rather reflects an adjustment in the State Department’s Travel Advisory system to rely more on CDC’s existing epidemiological assessments. For the latest Travel Advisory levels, see our website at travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html.
As always, we are closely monitoring conditions around the globe, and will regularly update our destination-specific advice to U.S. travelers as conditions evolve.
We encourage U.S. citizens to stay connected with us via Travel.state.gov and through Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/travelgov/) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/TravelGov), and to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (https://step.state.gov/) to receive timely Alerts about evolving health and safety conditions in their planned destinations.
For press inquiries, please contact CAPRESSREQUESTS@state.gov.
