[Newsmaker] US raises travel advisory on Japan to highest Level 4: Do Not Travel

Published : May 25, 2021 - 09:23 Updated : May 25, 2021 - 10:30

The image captured from the website of the US State Department shows the latest travel advisory issued for Japan on Monday, that advises US citizens not to travel to Japan due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Yonhap)

WASHINGTON -- The United States on Monday raised its travel warning for Japan to the highest level, advising Americans not to travel to the Asian nation.

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice for Japan due to COVID-19, indicating a very high level of COVID-19 in the country. There are restrictions in place affecting US citizen entry into Japan," said the latest US travel advisory on the country.

The move comes ahead of the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games, set to start July 23.

The Japanese government says it will stage the international event as scheduled despite recent spikes in COVID-19 infection cases in the country as the games have already been postponed by a year from 2020.

However, many believe the event may again be delayed, if not cancelled altogether, due to the pandemic.

In a latest health alert on its website last week, the US embassy in Japan noted Tokyo has again extended its "national state of emergency declaration" to curb increasing infection rates. (Yonhap)