US issues 'level one' travel health advisory for India, advises necessary precautions

The United States (US) Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on Monday, issued a ‘level one’ COVID-19 advisory for US citizens travelling to India, indicating that the risk of getting infected with coronavirus or developing severe symptoms is significantly lower if one is fully vaccinated. "Your risk of contracting Covid-19 and developing severe symptoms may be lower if you are fully vaccinated with an FDA (Food and Drug Administration) authorised vaccine,” CDC said. The notification came as India’s COVID caseload reached 362,028 with 11,398 deaths.

_{Source: World Health Organisation (WHO)}

Pertaining to the same, CDC recommended travellers follow recommendations or requirements in India, including wearing a mask and staying six feet apart from others. In addendum, it advised all the passengers to get fully vaccinated to prevent getting infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. "However, international travel poses additional risks, and even fully vaccinated travellers might be at increased risk for getting and possibly spreading some COVID-19 variants," the federal body said. Read complete CDC recommendations here. 

Can Indians travel to US ?

United States opened its borders in November to air travellers who are completely vaccinated against COVID-19 from 33 nations, including India, China, Brazil, and most of Europe, the White House announced on September 20th, lifting stringent pandemic-related restrictions that began early last year. The US will accept fully vaccinated air travellers from the 26 Schengen countries in Europe, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and Greece, as well as the United Kingdom, Ireland, China, India, South Africa, Iran, and Brazil. COVID-19 Response Coordinator for White House Jeff Zients did not specify a start date for the new regulations other than "early November." He added that many aspects of the new policy are still being worked out.

Covaxin EUL and air-bubble agreement

Vaccinated travellers have been permitted in the United States since November 8. On November 4, the WHO's Technical Advisory Group (TAG), an independent advisory committee, recommended that Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin be given Emergency Use Listing (EUL) status, putting an end to months of debate over a decision that will have a significant impact on Indians' travel rights. Around 28 nations have entered air-bubble agreements with India, including the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Bhutan, and France.

Image: AP