The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is asking all Americans to not travel to Mexico, as that country is seeing new surges in COVID-19 related cases and deaths.
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The CDC has raised Mexico to a Level 4: Very High rating, which is the highest on the CDC’s scale. Since November 23, Mexico has seen a 126 percent increase in confirmed cases and a 26 percent jump in deaths, according to the World Health Organization.
If you are planning to travel to Mexico, the CDC recommends getting tested with a viral test within one to three days before leaving. If you’ve already returned from Mexico, it’s recommended that you get tested three to five days after your return and stay home for seven days. If you don’t get tested, they recommend you stay home for up to 10 days.
Earlier this week, the Associated Press reported the head of the WHO, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that “Mexico is in bad shape with the pandemic,” and urged its government to be serious and set examples for its citizens.
Since July, there have been multiple reports of Mexican President Andres Lopez Obrador openly dismissing the idea of wearing a mask during the pandemic.
“If masks were an option to reactivate the economy, I would wear it immediately, but that’s not the case,” said Lopez Obrador back in July.
The WHO reports that Mexico’s death toll is now at 105,940, the fourth highest in the world, with a total of 1,113,543 confirmed cases.
“We would like to ask Mexico to be very serious,” said Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a statement released by the WHO. “We have said it in general, wearing a mask is important, hygiene is important, and physical distancing is important, and we expect leaders to be examples.”
The CDC’s Recommendations On Travel
Since the weeks before Thanksgiving, the CDC has been renewing its calls for Americans to stay home. “Travel may increase your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19,” writes the CDC on its website.
The CDC suggests staying home as the best way to protect yourself and your family from contracting the virus. Travel hubs such as airports, train stations, and bus stations are all places where people are reporting they contracted COVID-19. Want more travel news? See all our travel news coverage here.
