The US has raised its travel advisory levels for Canada, Germany and Switzerland on account of Covid-19 infection rates in those countries.
Canada and Germany were moved up to Level 3 by the US state department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with potential travellers urged to “reconsider travel” due to “a high level of Covid-19.”
The move comes barely three weeks after Canada re-opened its borders to American visitors in an easing of measures that have restricted non-essential travel between the two neighbours since March 2020.
The CDC lifted its advisory for Switzerland to Level 4, the highest possible. The agency urged Americans not to travel to the European nation due to the “very high level” of Covid-19 there.
Earlier on Monday, all EU member states agreed to recommend that each country in the bloc reimpose restrictions on travellers from the US due to concerns over the country’s increasing infection and hospitalisation rates.
Over the past week, Germany has averaged about 9,167 new cases a day, while Canada has had 3,039 a day and Switzerland 2,572, according to the FT’s coronavirus tracker. Adjusted for population, Switzerland has averaged 30 new cases per 100,000 people a day over the past week, ahead of Germany (11) and Canada (8).
The US has averaged about 154,350 new infections a day over the past week, or a per-head rate of 47 per 100,000 people a day.
The CDC also issued Level 4 advisories for Estonia, North Macedonia, Azerbaijan and Saint Lucia. Earlier this month, France, Israel, Thailand, and Iceland were added to the CDC’s Level 4 list.