CDC Drops COVID Travel Advisories as Countries Stop Tracking Cases

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 5, 2022 (HealthDay News) – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is dropping its foreign travel advisories for COVID. The agency explained that because so many countries have stopped tracking their COVID cases, it can no longer accurately calculate health risks to travelers.

Going forward, the CDC will only post travel health notices about individual countries if there are particular concerns. This might include any troubling new COVID variant that could change CDC recommendations for that country, agency spokeswoman Kristen Nordlund told CBS News.

This is just the latest travel restriction to fall. In early 2020, as the virus was spreading, the United States did not allow people who had been in any of more than three dozen countries to enter. It later required travelers to test negative for COVID before flying to this country, but that requirement was dropped last summer.

To help tourism other countries have also let go of testing and quarantine requirements, allowing entry to fully vaccinated travelers, CBS News reported.

Americans should still keep up with their vaccines and follow CDC recommendations for international travel, including practicing usual precautions, taking enhanced precautions or avoiding nonessential travel, depending on the destination, the agency said.

More information

The World Health Organization has more on COVID-19 at various destinations.

SOURCE: CBS News