US lowers travel advisory on South Korea to Level 1 from Level 4
People wearing face masks pass by posters reminding them of precautions against COVID-19 at a subway station in Seoul, April 15. AP-Yonhap
The United States shifted its travel advisory on South Korea to the lowest tier of Level 1, Monday, a sharp change from the highest warning of Level 4 that was issued in February.
The announcement followed reports that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had lowered its own travel recommendation on South Korea by a notch from the "Do Not Travel" level. South Korea is reportedly among around 90 nations and other regions that dropped to "Level 3: High," indicating a reduced risk to U.S. visitors to the country from COVID-19.
The Department of State had maintained a Level 4 travel advisory on South Korea since Feb. 15.
Level 1 encourages U.S. visitors to exercise "normal precaution" while visiting their host nation. The department did not offer any specific reasons for the new travel advisory measure for South Korea in a notice posted on its website. (Yonhap)