“Do not travel to France due to Covid-19,” wrote the US Department of State on its website.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice for France due to Covid-19, indicating a very high level of Covid-19 in the country.”
In practice this will not have a big effect at present, since France allows only essential travel from the USA and arrival numbers are very low.
However French president Emmanuel Macron has said that he hopes to open up travel to vaccinated Americans by the summer.
The State Department’s travel warning is advisory, but travel to a Level 4 destination can invalidate travel insurance.
Previously, the State Department listed 34 of about 200 countries worldwide with the “Do Not Travel” warning, and has since increased the number to 150 countries based on the recommendations of the CDC.
Other European countries placed on the Level 4 list include Germany, Spain and Switzerland.
The US on Tuesday also extended its travel ban on non-US citizens by 30 days. The restrictions have already been in place for 13 months.
For full details on the rules on travel between France and the USA, click HERE.
READ ALSO When will Americans be able to travel to France again?
Without a distinction in its recommendation between vaccinated and unvaccinated travel, the CDC risks being marginalized. Surely insurers will differentiate.
I have a trip to France booked for late September – which I had to postpone from last month – and I hope things are sorted out by then! Regardless, I’m going, if France will let me in.