The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week raised its travel warning level for Canada to Level 4, the highest level, at which the agency recommends avoiding travel due to high Covid-19 infection rates.

Canada previously had been placed at Level 3, the level at which the CDC recommends travelers be fully vaccinated and for unvaccinated travelers to avoid nonessential trips. It now joins about 80 destinations currently rated at Level 4 by the CDC, including the majority of Europe. The CDC also raised its warning level for Curaçao to Level 4 this week.

Canada in December, amid the spreading Covid-19 omicron variant, already had issued a general travel advisory for Canadians to avoid all nonessential essential travel. Travel remains permitted for vaccinated travelers between Canada and the United States, which currently has a higher per capita Covid-19 infection rate than Canada.

The CDC this week also lowered its warning level from Level 4 to Level 3 for four countries: Armenia, Belarus, Lesotho and Zimbabwe. In addition, the agency issued a Level 3 warning for travel to Singapore, for which it previously had issued no rating due to lack of data.