US Urges Its Citizens to Refrain From Travelling to Italy

Even though the end-of-year holidays are approaching and more people plan on taking a trip outside their country, the US Department of State has advised that all Americans refrain from taking any non-essential trips to Italy.

In line with the latest update of the list of countries to which US nationals are discouraged travelling, the US Department of State has issued a “Level Four: Do Not Travel” advice for Italy.

“The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice for Italy due to COVID-19, indicating a very high level of COVID-19 in the country,” the advice issued by the US Health Agency reads.

Such advice, which is the highest advisory level, was issued for Italy yesterday, on December 13, since the latter has identified increased COVID-19 infection rates, SchegenVisaInfo.com reports.

Based on the data provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), Italy has reported 116,435 new infection cases during the last seven days. Moreover, during the same period, Italy has reported 636 new deaths.

Hence, to lower the risk of getting infected with the virus, all US nationals, particularly those who haven’t been vaccinated or recovered from the virus, should avoid travelling to Italy, at least for now.

Those who need to take an essential trip to Italy are highly recommended to be fully vaccinated with one of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved vaccines in order to avoid any health implications while abroad.

“There are restrictions in place affecting US citizen entry into Italy. Your risk of contracting COVID-19 and developing severe symptoms may be lower if you are fully vaccinated with an FDA authorised vaccine,” the advice emphasises.

Except for Italy, the “Level Four: Do Not Travel Advisory” also applies to several other European countries, such as Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands, France, and Portugal, among others.

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The US is currently part of Italy’s List D, which means that Americans are required to follow several entry rules in order to be permitted entry to the country.

All US nationals who reach Italy must fill in a Passenger Locator Form before their arrival. In addition, they are required to undergo a COVID-19 test result within 72 hours before their entry, as well as present a valid vaccination or recovery certificate.

>> Travelling to Italy Amid COVID-19: What You Need to Know Before Booking a Trip