eFM News

The U.S. State Department urged Americans on Monday to reconsider any international travel they may have planned as it prepares to issue specific warnings not to visit roughly 80 percent of countries around the world due to risks from the coronavirus pandemic.

The United States hasn't had a global advisory warning against international travel since August, when guidance was revoked by the Trump administration.

Although the advice isn't a formal global advisory, the State Department said it will start using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention standards to prepare health and safety guidelines for individual countries.

Based on those standards, about 80 percent of countries will be classified as "Level 4" or "do not travel."

People with plans to visit the remaining 20 percent of countries will be advised to reconsider before proceeding.

The department said the new classifications do not necessarily reflect changes in the countries' health situations, but rather an adjustment in the criteria on which it bases the alerts, including COVID-19 infections rates as well as the availability of local testing and treatment.

The department will reveal which countries fall under which category in the coming week.