The CDC Updated Its 'Avoid Travel' List with 4 More Countries, Including Russia

The CDC has added four countries to the list of places it suggests you avoid due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

cdc avoid travel list update november 2021
Photo by Reidl/Shutterstock
Photo by Reidl/Shutterstock

As it has almost weekly since the end of the summer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its "avoid travel" list. Four countries have been added to the list of Level 4 countries that the CDC advises US travelers to avoid. 

On November 1, the CDC added Belgium, Burkina Faso, Russia, and Slovakia to the list of Level 4 countries. The levels in the CDC system run from 1 to 4, with the highest level containing countries and territories that it advises travelers to avoid due to the risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19.

At Level 3, the CDC's language moves from saying Americans should be "fully vaccinated before travel" and that unvaccinated travelers "should avoid nonessential travel to this destination." When it bumps a country up to Level 4, the CDC suggests that you "avoid travel to this destination."

Countries can move up and down the CDC system as the COVID-19 situation changes. Recent additions to Level 4 have included Ukraine, SingaporeBelarus, Moldova, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Additionally, on November 1, the CDC moved Fiji, Jamaica, Laos, and Poland to Level 3. Guinea and the Marshall Islands have moved down to Level 1.

If you do need to travel to locations with advisories, it is suggested that you take precautions such as wearing a face-covering in public and social distancing. The CDC additionally recommends that unvaccinated individuals get a viral test one to three days before the trip in addition to wearing a face covering, avoiding crowds, and washing hands regularly.

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Dustin Nelson is a Senior Staff Writer at Thrillist. Follow Dustin Nelson on Twitter.