Understanding CDC Travel Health Notices

On April 13, 2022 the CDC announced significant changes to the Travel Health Notices (THN) specific to COVID-19. The structure of the 4 level system will reserve the highest level-'Level 4: Do Not Travel' for only special circumstances such as a healthcare infrastructure collapse or extreme spikes in case counts of COVID-19 levels. This change resulted in 89 countries being removed from the "Level 4: Do Not Travel" list.

CDC Travel Health Notices for Levels 1, 2, and 3 will continue to be based on a 28-day incidence or case counts.

The 4 COVID-19 Travel Health Notice levels are: 

Level 4 – Special Circumstances/Do Not Travel

Level 3 – High Level of COVID-19

Level 2 – Moderate Level of COVID-19

Level 1 - Low Level of COVID-19

Level Unknown: Unknown Level of COVID-19

Read more from the CDC on how COVID-19 Travel Health Notices are determined here.

The CDC's standard (non-COVID-19) Travel Health Notice system has 3 levels: 

Warning Level 3 – Avoid all non-essential travel 

Alert Level 2 – Practice Enhanced Precautions 

Watch Level 1 – Practice Usual Precautions 

This standard THN system will remain in use alongside the COVID-19 specific travel health notices introduced by the CDC in 2020. 

COVID-19 vaccines currently appear as recommended vaccines on CDC Country Information pages. When COVID-19 vaccines were authorized under an Emergency Use Authorization process, they were not listed on Country Imformation pages by the CDC. Now that the COVID vaccines are authorized under general use guidelines per the FDA, they have been added to a list of recommended vaccines on CDC Country pages.

Colleges, universities, and provider organizations consider CDC Travelers Health Notices and other information provided by the CDC (e.g., vaccinations and immunizations) in their evaluation of the relative health and safety of an education abroad location. 

Visit CDC Travelers Health COVID-19 Homepage 

Some other sources are:

• US DOS
• WHO Efficiency of Care
• Global Health Security Index assessment
• Harvard Metrics on Case Rates
• WHO current COVID infection rates/spread 
• Our World in Data Daily Positive Test Rates
• European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control 14-day cumulative number of COVID-19 cases per 100 000
• CIEE Health Risk Index
• ISOS (COVID-19) Impact Rating
   

NAFSA Education Abroad Health and Safety 

Crisis Management for Education Abroad

Outbound Immigration and Logistical Considerations for Education Abroad During the COVID-19 Pandemic 

Government Connection: Understanding CDC Travel Health Notices