US adds 116 countries to its ‘Do Not Travel’ advisory list

WASHINGTON — The State Department is urging Americans to reconsider any international travel they may have planned and said it would issue specific warnings not to visit roughly 80% of the world’s countries due to risks from the coronavirus pandemic.

The United States hasn’t had a global advisory warning against international travel since August, when guidance was revoked by the Trump administration.

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The advice issued by the department isn’t a formal global advisory. Instead, it says the State Department will start using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention standards as it prepares health and safety guidelines for individual countries. Because of those standards, about 80% of countries will be classified as “Level 4” or “do not travel.”

Travel is also discouraged for the remaining 20%, though not as emphatically. It says people with plans to visit those countries should reconsider before proceeding.

Before Tuesday, the State Department listed 34 out of about 200 countries as “Do Not Travel.” The State Department now lists 150 countries at Level Four. It declined to say when it would complete the updates.

The department did not reveal which countries will fall under which category. That will become known as guidance is issued individually for each country in the coming week.

For international students at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, any change to travel is a big deal. International student Arna Erega worries about all the paperwork required to return to the U.S.

“As an international students, there’s always fear and anxiety back in my mind, when I travel, if I travel. What kind of trouble am I going to encounter? Not so much going home, more so when I’m coming back,” Erega said.

She’s originally from Croatia -- one of the countries recently added to the list. She has no plans to head home any time soon, but does expect a visit from her mom later this year.

Denise Medeiros in the Office of International Programs said students have invested time and money in their studies and for some, it’s too big of a risk to leave right now.

“There are a lot of students who will play it safe and will stay. There are some that will take the risk and will go and we’ll pray they get back on time and safely,” Medeiros said.

There are 1,400 international students enrolled at UNCC this year -- 400 fewer than last year.

Those from India make up the largest group on campus. The country is also on the do not travel list. The CDC recommends that you get fully vaccinated before you travel there.

“I’m glad there is alertness around it and that people are taking it seriously,” Erega said.

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.”

Most Americans already had been prevented from traveling to much of Europe because of COVID-19 restrictions. Washington has barred nearly all non-U.S. citizens who have recently been in most of Europe, China, Brazil, Iran and South Africa.

“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,” it said.

The department said the new classifications don’t necessarily reflect changes in the countries’ health situations, but rather an adjustment in the criteria on which it bases the alerts.

The State Department’s assessments for COVID-19 include infection rates as well as the availability of local testing and treatment.

The recommendations are not mandatory and do not bar Americans from travel.

Coronavirus: Fully vaccinated people can safely travel, CDC says

Cox Media Group