US slaps ‘do not travel’ label on Cyprus

Health authorities in the United States have issued a “Do Not Travel” warning for Cyprus earlier this week, warning US citizens against visiting the island due to high level of COVID-19.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice for Cyprus, essentially advising against travel to Cyprus indicating a very high level of COVID-19 in the country.

"As always, we are closely monitoring conditions around the globe, and will regularly update our destination-specific advice to US travelers as conditions evolve," US officials said.

According to an official diagram, there are foul levels of warning in the travel advisory, with the lowest level for safety and security risk at the top where US travelers are advised to exercise normal precautions.

Level 2 calls on US citizens to exercise increased caution while level 3 asks travelers to reconsider travel.

Cyprus’ new level 4 designation meant the risk was at its highest for US citizens “due to greater likelihood of life-threatening risks.”

The updated travel guidelines are intended to curb visits "to approximately 80% of countries worldwide" that are experiencing dramatic spikes in cases, the state department said in a statement.

US citizens were being urged to stay home as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose "unprecedented risks" around the globe, the department added.

The decision came at a time when the Republic of Cyprus is facing added challenges in the fight against the pandemic.

But Washington said the move did not imply a reassessment of current health situations in some countries, but rather "reflects an adjustment in the State Department's Travel Advisory system to rely more on existing epidemiological assessments,” a move understood to imply a closer coordination with the CDC.

Earlier this month, the CDC said fully vaccinated people could safely travel within the US at “low risk” officials also discouraged Americans from doing so because of high coronavirus cases nationwide.