South Africa is among a list of countries that the United States Department of State has ‘strongly recommended’ US citizens reconsider travelling to, according to the department’s latest travel advisories.
Covid-related risk is the key factor.
Businesstech News reports that that US statement said various factors were taken into consideration in drafting the travel advisory, including in-country testing availability.
Said the department: ‘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 Centre for Disease Control and Prevention’s existing epidemiological assessments.’
The notice, published on Tuesday, warns against travelling to South Africa due to the current Covid-19 pandemic and indicates that South Africa has received a warning level of 4.
‘The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice for South Africa due to Covid-19, indicating a very high level of Covid-19 in the country,’ said the department.
Issues of safety and security were also raised in the notice as factors.
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