On August 6th, the US State Department lifted its global Level 4 travel warning, returning to country-specific warnings and advisories instead. The department says that the decision was made in close coordination with the CDC, stating that the dangers of the virus in many countries around the world have lessened.
A spokesperson for the Department of State said in a statement, “With health and safety conditions improving in some countries and potentially deteriorating in others, the Department is returning to our previous system of country-specific levels of travel advice (with Levels from 1-4 depending on country-specific conditions), in order to give travelers detailed and actionable information to make informed travel decisions…”
It’s important to remember that the USA is the worst-hit country in the entire world. So, while America may be lifting its travel bans and advisories, many nations around the globe are still banning Americans from traveling. The USA lifting a warning ban does not mean that travel between the two nations has resumed.
However, it’s also a promising sign that the coronavirus can be controlled and its dangers mitigated. Could this be one of the first signs that the world is returning to normal, and travel is set to increase? With more testing, and new guidelines, international travel may resume in greater numbers even before a Covid-19 vaccine is available.