'Fully vaccinated people in US can travel at low risk'

ANKARA

Fully vaccinated people in the US can now travel at low risk, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Friday.

They do not need to get a COVID-19 test before or after travel, nor require self-quarantine after travel, as long as they follow safe travel measures, according to the CDC's new guidance.

However, restrictions on most non-US citizens who have recently been in China, Brazil, South Africa, and most of Europe have not been lifted, as they are still required to obtain a negative COVID-19 test before traveling to the US.

"Vaccines can help us return to the things we love about life, so we encourage every American to get vaccinated as soon as they have the opportunity," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement.

Distributed doses have just passed 200 million in the US with 155 million administered as of early Thursday. But so far, only 56 million people, or 16.9% of the US population, have gotten two doses, according to CDC figures.

More than 30.5 million cases have been recorded in the US since the start of the pandemic with over 553,000 deaths, according to Maryland's Johns Hopkins University.

Global cases are almost at 130 million, while more than 2.8 million have lost their lives.