The United States of America has downgraded Kenya’s travel advisory to Level 2, down from Level 4, adjusting travel guidance for vaccinated Americans in the process.
With the public health situation improving, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week downgraded the travel advisory for more than 120 countries, a move that included moving 33 countries into the lowest risk category.
“The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 2 Travel Health Notice for Kenya due to COVID-19, indicating a moderate level of COVID-19 in the country. Visit the Embassy’s COVID-19 page for more information on COVID-19 in Kenya,” reads U.S Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs.
The move is the first update for the CDC since April 28. According to a statement, the CDC made the changes as “the COVID-19 situation around the world changes.”
Each country is given a Travel Health Notice (THN) level by the CDC based on primary and secondary criteria” for COVID.
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“This update gives specific travel advice for vaccinated and unvaccinated people according to the THN level, ensuring THN levels reflect the current global situation and are aligned with guidance for international travel,” according to the CDC.
The update comes as a relief to tourism stakeholders as it raises hope for more international visitors this year, many of who had avoided travelling to Kenya since the advent of the virus in March last year.
Here is a summary of changes in terms of level:
Level 1 (less than 50 new COVID cases in the last 28 days) countries are those with “low” COVID-19 levels, which now include Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Dominica, Fiji, Iceland, Israel, Morocco, South Korea, Turks and Caicos.
Level 2 (50-99 new cases per 100,000 residents) countries are those with moderate COVID-19 levels, which now include Bermuda, Curacao, Finland, Kenya.
Level 3 (100 to 500 cases per 100,000 residents) countries are categorized by the CDC as having high COVID-19 cases. They now include Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Saint Lucia.
Level 4 (more than 500 cases per 100,000 residents), which is the CDC’s highest level, includes countries that the CDC classes as countries to “avoid travel to”. The latest advisory had four new updates namely Haiti, Nicaragua, North Korea and Uzbekistan.
