US CDC Advises 'Travel Ban' to South Korea Due to COVID-19

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The U.S. health authorities have advised their citizens to refrain from traveling to South Korea, where COVID-19 is rapidly spreading due to the Omicron variant.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) raised the COVID-19 risk level to the highest grade, "Level 4: Very High," on the 14th (local time) for six regions including South Korea, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Comoros, French Polynesia, and the French overseas territories of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, urging caution.

Until now, South Korea had been classified one level lower as "Level 3: High." For Level 3 countries, the CDC advises unvaccinated Americans to avoid non-essential travel.

The CDC stated, "If you must travel to South Korea, get vaccinated in advance and receive a booster shot if eligible."

The CDC classifies countries with more than 500 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people over the past 28 days as Level 4.

With this measure, the number of countries and territories classified as Level 4 on the CDC travel advisory has increased to 137. Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Singapore, and others are also classified as Level 4.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.