CDC Asks Americans to 'Reconsider Travel' to Canada

Bummer, eh?

TRphotos/Shutterstock
TRphotos/Shutterstock

Government officials have issued another warning to travelers. The US Department of State and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are suggesting Americans "reconsider travel" to Canada amid a rise in COVID cases caused by the Delta variant. 

"Your risk of contracting COVID-19 and developing severe symptoms may be lower if you are fully vaccinated with an FDA authorized vaccine," the warning reads. "Before planning any international travel, please review the CDC's specific recommendations for vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers."

The warning comes a few weeks after the Canadian border reopened to vaccinated US citizens. Canada received a Level 3 travel warning from both agencies, which is the second-highest possible warning given to areas with an incidence rate of 100-500 new cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days.

Data from the World Health Organization shows case numbers in Canada ranged from 518 new daily cases on August 9 to 4,004 cases on August 18. The Canadian government's own daily epidemiology summary shows more than 23,000 cases in the last week. If the case numbers continue to rise, Canada could be upgraded to Level 4. Destinations currently on that list include Brazil, the Bahamas, Costa Rica, Morocco, France, Greece, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland, among others. 

If you are traveling to Canada, there are some things you should know. CTV reports that the Ontario province announced it would implement a vaccine certificate policy starting on September 22. That means proof of vaccination will be required in select indoor venues, specifically those that pose a higher risk of transmission. This is a temporary measure, according to Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford.

It's being implemented to "keep moving forward safely to protect our hard-fought progress," said Ford. He added that it would be lifted just as soon as it is safe to do so, noting that it's "necessary to keep our hospitals safe and avoid another lockdown."

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Caitlyn Hitt is Daria IRL. Don't take our word for it—find her on Twitter @nyltiaccc.