US eases travel warning for many nations as pandemic eases

The US State Department loosened its travel warnings for dozens of nations including France, Canada and Germany, in a move that could ease airline restrictions for people wanting to go overseas as the coronavirus pandemic wanes in parts of the world. The department changed its travel warnings Tuesday for nearly 60 nations and territories from level 4, or “do not travel,” to level 3, “reconsider travel,” according to the agency’s website. In a statement, the department said it was updating the advisories after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed the methodology for its travel health notices. Countries affected by the latest change included France, Canada, Japan, Mexico, South Korea and Singapore. Another 16 nations were downgraded from level 3 to level 2, or “exercise increased caution,” while about a dozen were lowered to level 1 -- “exercise normal caution.” Tuesday’s change will “provide US travelers detailed and actionable information to make informed travel decisions,” the Department said. It amounted to the first major relaxation of such warnings since the Department slapped a Level 4 travel advisory on the entire globe in March 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic gained speed. The advisories aren’t binding but can help airlines and other nations set their own restrictions for travel. Other countries often reciprocate for American citizens based on the department’s advisories.<br/>