US State Department eases travel restrictions for UK and Israel; All you need to know

The US State Department on Monday, May 10, eased travel advisory ratings for the United Kingdom and Israel. Rating for the UK has been lowered to ‘Level 3: Reconsider Travel’, while the rating for Israel has come down to ‘Level 2 – Exercise Increased Caution’. It was the second time there has been a reduction in Israel’s rating in the recent weeks. In order to align with the ratings of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the ratings of about 120 countries were heightened to ‘Level 4: Do Not Travel’ in April. 

As per the UK Travel Advisory,  there are restrictions in place affecting US citizen entry into the United Kingdom. “Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in the United Kingdom. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas. There is also a risk of isolated violence by dissident groups in Northern Ireland, focused primarily on police and military targets”, read the advisory. 

As per the travel advisory of Israel, the travellers need to exercise increased caution in Israel and the West Bank due to terrorism and civil unrest. “Do not travel to Gaza due to COVID-19, terrorism, civil unrest, and armed conflict.  Some areas have increased risk”, read the advisory. The CDC has issued a Level 2 Travel Health Notice for Israel due to COVID-19, indicating a moderate level of COVID-19 in the country. However, the rankings for West Bank remain at Level 4, which indicates a very high level of COVID-19.

Level 4 advisory to citizens in India 

In another significant development, the US government asked its citizens to leave India as soon as possible amid an unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases that has left hospitals overwhelmed with patients and resources acute. Issuing the highest-ever travel advisory of Level 4, the US Department of State asked its citizens “not to travel to India or leave the country as soon as it is safe to do so”.  There are 14 direct daily flights between India and the US and other services that connect through Europe, the department said. “Access to medical care is severely limited due to COVID-19 cases in India. US citizens wishing to depart should use available commercial options now. Daily direct flights to the US and flights via Paris and Frankfurt are available”, said the US State Department.

(Image Credits: AP)