US warns against travel to Thailand, other countries over Covid-19

published : 10 Aug 2021 at 07:42

A monk works on a new furnace in the crematorium at Wat Chinwararam in Pathum Thani’s Muang district on July 26, 2021. The temple is building six new furnaces to accommodate the increasing demand for cremations amid the pandemic. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)

WASHINGTON/BANGKOK: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned on Monday against travel to Israel, France, Thailand, Iceland and several other countries because of a rising number of Covid-19 cases in those nations.

The CDC has been adding to its highest "Level 4: Very High" Covid-19 level as cases spread around the globe. The United States added Thailand, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, along with other places, including Aruba and French Polynesia.

"Because of the current situation in Thailand, even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk for getting and spreading Covid-19 variants," the CDC said on its website.

The list comprises more than 70 countries, including three other Southeast Asian countries -- Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar.

Thailand had a record high of 235 new Covid-19 fatalities and registered 19,843 new cases over the past 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry reported on Tuesday.

The US State Department also issued its parallel Level 4: Do Not Travel" advisories for Iceland and France on Monday.

In July, the CDC had raised concerns about Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, lifting its travel health notice by two levels to "Level 3: High."

The CDC also hiked alert levels to "Level 3: High" for Austria, Croatia, El Salvador, Azerbaijan, Guam, Kenya and Jamaica. The CDC says unvaccinated travellers should avoid nonessential travel to those countries.