U.S. Issues Warning Advisory on Travel to the UK Over Rising COVID-19 Cases

Americans should not travel to the United Kingdom – including England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland – because of the rise in COVID-19 cases caused by the novel coronavirus in its Delta variant. Both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of State have given the UK their very highest warning levels. The notice can be seen here: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/covid-4/coronavirus-united-kingdom.

Notice Issued by CDC
The CDC yesterday raised its travel advisory in the United Kingdom to Level 4, which means “the highest level of COVID-19.” They issued a notice that reads: “If you must travel to the UK make sure that you are vaccinated”. “Due to the current situation in the United Kingdom, even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk of receiving and distributing COVID-19,” the CDC notice said.

The Situation in the UK
COVID-19 cases grew by more than 50,000 a day in the UK and hundreds of thousands of Britons were asked to go into self-isolation for ten days. In the U.K. the warning level previously was at Level 3, indicating a “high” level of COVID-19 and warns that only fully vaccinated travelers should attempt to make the trip.

The Warning Raised by the US
The U.S. Department of State raised its United Kingdom tourism warning to Level 4, which means “don’t visit the UK.”The United Kingdom is currently recording an average of 65 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people, based on the data issued by the Brown School of Public Health. That level of exposure puts the country at a “tipping point,” according to Brown’s COVID-19 risk assessment map. U.S. warnings were issued last Monday just after England abandoned the last of its epidemic restrictions and celebrated festive events to ring in “Freedom Day”. This raised eyebrows in many countries including the U.S. However, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland kept certain restrictions such as compulsory masks and social distancing in public places.

The Situation in the US
COVID-19 is also rapidly spreading in the United States. The Delta variant of COVID-19 has exacerbated the number of deaths nationwide, say U.S. health officials. The United States currently records 12 new cases every day for every 100,000 people. The American epidemic epicenter is the state of Florida, currently recording 49.3 new cases a day out of 100,000. “This has become a pandemic for the uninitiated,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC.