CDC Drops COVID Travel Advisories as Countries Stop Tracking Cases

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 reports.

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.

Keeping up with vaccines means having all doses from the primary vaccination series as well as any boosters for which you are eligible.

Vaccines remain the most effective safety factor for those that are traveling.

"Most people who are up-to-date on their vaccines are highly protected from becoming severely ill," according to CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen.

We are now in "a phase in the pandemic where people need to make their own decisions based on their medical circumstances as well as their risk tolerance when it comes to contracting COVID-19," Wen says.

Before You Leave the United States

Planning a trip outside of the country? Before you leave, plan ahead. Here's what the CDC advises:

Get up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines before you travel.
- Find out when you can get your booster and where to get a vaccine or booster.
- COVID-19 vaccines are effective at protecting people—especially those who are boosted— from getting seriously ill, being hospitalized, and even dying.
Follow all requirements of transportation operators (such as airlines, cruise lines, buses) and any requirements, including mask wearing, proof of vaccination, or testing at your destination.
- Requirements in other countries may differ from U.S. requirements. If you do not follow your destination’s requirements, you may be denied entry and required to return to the United States.
If you have a weakened immune system or are at increased risk for severe disease, take multiple prevention steps to provide additional layers of protection from COVID-19 even if you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines.
- Talk to your healthcare provider about your risk before travel and consider delaying travel to areas with high COVID-19 levels. Even if you are up to date, you should know what precautions to take.
If you will be visiting someone who is at higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19, learn how to protect them.

The CDC also advises testing before boarding flights back to the United States.

"Of course, if people have symptoms or exposure while traveling, they need to get tested, and if they test positive, to follow CDC's isolation guidelines," Wen adds.