US State Department adds Israel to 'Do Not Travel' advisory list over virus fears
Washington added at least 116 countries to its Level Four index, citing a 'very high level of COVID'
In a surprising move, the US State Department announced that it was placing an additional 116 countries on its "Level Four: Do Not Travel advisory list," citing a very high level of COVID-19.
The index has raised eyebrows, not least because it includes countries - such as Israel in particular, which just shuttered its remaining designated coronavirus hospital wards because of a significant drop in infection rate - and the United Kingdom, which has similarly begun to open up again after a lengthy lockdown.
Other countries in the "Do Not Travel" list include Finland, Egypt, Belgium, Turkey, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland and Spain. Some countries like China and Japan remain at Level 3: Reconsider Travel," reported Reuters.
On Monday, the State Department had announced that it would boost the number of countries receiving its highest advisory rating to about 80 percent of countries worldwide.
The recommendations are not mandatory, nor do they bar Americans from overseas travel. They do reflect, however, rely on US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) existing epidemiological assessments.
The CDC has continued to give conflicting advice to even those people who are fully vaccinated, said that people could travel within the United States at "low risk," although its director Rochelle Walensky discouraged Americans from doing so because of high coronavirus cases nationwide.