US CDC warns unvaccinated Americans against travel to Vietnam

By Nguyen Quy August 2, 2021 | 11:33 pm PT

Travelers check-in for their flights at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., November 25, 2020. Photo by Reuters.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has added Vietnam onto a group of countries bearing 'moderate' Covid travel risks as the Southeast Asian country grapples with the Delta variant.

Twenty-four countries and territories, including Vietnam and South Korea, are now listed at "Level 2," or those with moderate Covid risks. The agency has warned that unvaccinated travelers at increased risk of Covid should avoid non-essential travel to these destinations.

If American citizens must travel to Vietnam for essential purposes, they are advised to get fully vaccinated before arrival and follow local recommendations and requirements like wearing a mask and staying two meters away from others.

The change came just two months after the CDC put Vietnam in its list of safest destinations with the lowest Covid-19 risks at "Level 1."

The U.S. has recorded over 35 million infections and over 629,862 deaths.

While low-income countries are struggling to secure enough vaccine doses due to a lack of supply, 50.2 percent of Americans have been fully vaccinated.

Vietnam is currently facing its most challenging outbreak triggered by the Delta variant so far, prompting several countries to ban or impose stricter quarantine measures for travelers from here.

More than three months into the new wave, the country has recorded 161,431 community infections. It has administered more than 6.95 million Covid-19 vaccine shots, with 712,864 people fully vaccinated.