America’s top health body — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — has issued a ‘Level One’ Covid notice for its citizens travelling to India, saying the risk of contracting the infection and developing severe symptoms may be lower for fully vaccinated.However, the report said, the US State Department issued level two and three travel advisories for India and Pakistan, saying while citizens are urged to reconsider travel to Pakistan due to terrorism and sectarian violence, those going to India must exercise increased caution due to crime and terrorism.In its health travel notice, the CDC said, “Your risk of contracting COVID-19 and developing severe symptoms may be lower if you are fully vaccinated with an FDA (Food and Drug Administration) authorised vaccine.”As per CDC website, there are thour types of health notices — Level 4: Very High, Level 3: High, Level 2: Moderate, Level 1: Low. This comes in the backdrop of falling Covid cases in India, which has resumed quarantine-free entry for foreign travellers from 99 countries. These countries have agreed to a mutual recognition of Covid vaccination certificates with New Delhi.Travellers from these 99 countries, including the US, the UK, France, Germany, Australia, the Netherlands and Russia, which have been listed under “Category A”, have to submit a self-declaration form on the Air Suvidha portal (newdelhiairport.in) before the scheduled travel, apart from uploading a negative Covid RT-PCR report.The RT-PCR test should be conducted within 72 hours prior to undertaking the journey. “As India opened its doors to fully-vaccinated international tourists from all over the world beginning Monday, India tourism Mumbai accorded a warm welcome to the first set of international tourists who landed at Mumbai International Airport by Air France flight AF218,” the Union Ministry of Tourism said in a tweet.
