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United States has improved the travel advisory for India, lowering it from the highest Level 4, which means no travel, to Level 3, which urges citizens to reconsider travel.
The US State Department said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 3 Travel Health Notice for India due to Covid-19, indicating a high level of Covid-19 in the country.
The US state department issued a statement easing travel on Monday and said that the advisory encouraging travel to India comes in the wake of acknowledgement of the Covid-19 pandemic situation in the region.
“Your risk of contracting Covid-19 and developing severe symptoms may be lower if you are fully vaccinated with an FDA authorised vaccine. Before planning any international travel, please review the CDC’s specific recommendations for vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers,” it said.
The latest travel advisory replaces the one issued on May 5 that had placed India in the Level 4 category.
When the last month’s advisory was issued, India was struggling with a second wave of the pandemic with more than 3,00,000 daily new coronavirus cases being reported. Hospitals were reeling under a shortage of medical oxygen and beds.
While the CDC issued a Level 2 Travel Health Notice for Pakistan due to COVID-19, indicating a moderate level of the pandemic, the State Department maintained Level 3 risk for US citizens travelling to the country due to terrorism.
The US, the advisory said, has limited ability to provide emergency services to its citizens in rural areas from eastern Maharashtra and northern Telangana through western West Bengal as US government employees must obtain special authorisation to travel to these areas.
The advisory has also asked people to reconsider travel to India due to Covid-19 and exercise increased caution due to crime and terrorism. Review your personal security plans, and remain alert to your surroundings, the advisory read.
The United States issued the Level 4 category advisory for India in May this year, which barred people from travelling to the country. The advisory came in the wake of the deadly second wave of coronavirus pandemic that gripped India as it reported more than 400,000 Covid-19 cases during that period. The pandemic, driven by the highly transmissible Delta variant, overwhelmed hospitals and medical infrastructure as people scrambled to search for medicines, beds and oxygen cylinders to save their family members and acquaintances.
