(CNN Español) – If you plan to travel from the United States to Mexico, Colombia, Argentina or other Latin American countries, beware: The State Department will include about 80% of the world’s countries on its “Don’t Travel” list and multiple destinations for the region are included.
In fact, the government agency’s advice is more restrictive. “The State Department strongly recommends that U.S. citizens reconsider all travel abroad,” a statement said Monday.
The World Health Organization has warned that COVID-19 infections have been growing at an alarming rate for eight consecutive weeks. Coronavirus has already claimed the lives of more than three million people worldwide.
And the current situation is alarming: last week more than 5.2 million new cases were registered, its CEO reported. This is the largest in a single week since the beginning of the pandemic.
If, despite your current situation, you intend to travel, you should know the different country assessments that the authorities make. With its new recommendations, the State Department’s goal is to align with assessments made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In addition to the epidemiological situation, the considerations “also take into account logistical factors, including the availability of tests in the country and current travel restrictions for US citizens,” the State Department explained.
Here we tell you which Latin American countries are on the list, located at alert level 4 according to the CDC. In other words, Americans are advised not to travel because of the covid-19 pandemic:
- Argentine
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Cuba
- Easter Island (Chile)
- Ecuador
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- French Guiana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Mexico
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Dominican Republic
- Suriname
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
You can consult the complete list of countries here.
The State Department recommended not traveling to Nicaragua because of the pandemic and also because of the political situation in the country.
There are three Latin American countries at level 3 (“reconsider the trip”): Chile, El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago.
And only one is at level 2 (“take extra precaution”): Belize.
Have you already been vaccinated? This is the message from the CDC
There are few risk-free activities during the pandemic. It is true that people who are fully vaccinated are less likely to catch and transmit the virus. However, this does not mean that it cannot happen. And when it comes to travel and vaccinations, the CDC is very clear.
“International travel poses additional risks, and even fully vaccinated travelers are at increased risk of contracting and possibly spreading new variants of COVID-19,” the agency warned.
Mario Medrano contributed to this report.