On Tuesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned against travel to Canada after updating its COVID-19 travel guidelines on Sunday.
According to The Washington Post, health officials in the United States have cited “very high” levels of the Wuhan coronavirus in Canada and is now grouped under a Level 4 “do not travel” advisory. Level 4 is the most severe travel advisory the CDC issues.
Additionally, the CDC has urged people who are unvaccinated against the virus to avoid travel to over 50 additional nations, including Mexico, which was reportedly the top international destination for U.S. residents last year.
“If you must travel to Canada, make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel,” a CDC travel alert stated. “Because of the current situation in Canada, even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants.”
CDC is helping travelers understand #COVID19 risk in each country. Before you make travel plans, check the COVID-19 risk at your destination: https://t.co/SBxTlr2uJa pic.twitter.com/i8EArSvxfs
— CDC Travel Health (@CDCtravel) January 7, 2022
Last month, the Canadian government issued a global travel advisory for residents urging them to avoid non-essential travel outside the country. For U.S. travel, Canadians are urged to take “normal” precautions.
“The decision to travel is your choice and you are responsible for your personal safety abroad,” the advisory states. “We take the safety and security of Canadians abroad very seriously and provide credible and timely information in our Travel Advice to enable you to make well-informed decisions regarding your travel abroad.”
The Washington Post noted that the highly contagious Omicron variant “proves more resistant to existing vaccinations.” According to a Johns Hopkins University tracker, the variant is “[fueling] a new global wave of infections.”