CDC warns Americans to avoid much of Europe as new countries upgraded to ‘very high’ levels of Covid

State Department adds Iceland to ‘do not travel’ list days after the country mocks Mark Zuckerberg’s ‘Metaverse’

Justin Vallejo
New York
Wednesday 17 November 2021 02:52 EST
Comments
Iceland caricatures Mark Zuckerberg’s ‘metaverse’ video to create tourism advert

Your support helps us to tell the story

As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.

Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.

Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election

Head shot of Andrew Feinberg

Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention added Hungary, Iceland, the Czech Republic and the British Crown dependency of Guernsey to the highest level of travel health notification due to rising Covid-19.

The new additions mean American tourists are being warned against travelling to large swathes of Europe.

The State Department simultaneously issued a “do not travel” warning three of the new additions, with only Guernsey avoiding an added layer of travel advice.

The Level 4 travel health notice indicates a country that reports more than 500 new Covid-19 infections per 28 days per 100,000 people.

Iceland was added to the list days after the country mocked Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg over his new “Meterverse”.

The country recorded a seven-day average of 167 new Covid cases in the past week. Hungary, meanwhile, recorded an average of 7,264 new cases and the Czech Republic recorded an average of 10,988 new cases over a seven-day period.

They join countries across the Atlantic already on the CDC’s list countries with “very high levels” of Covid, including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Norway, Switzerland, Jersey, Greece, and Ireland.

"If you must travel ... make sure you are fully vaccinated," the CDC says of the locations

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in