US travel restrictions for more than 110 countries have been eased – including Japan just ahead of the Olympics.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) new ratings include 61 nations that were lowered from its highest Level 4 that discouraged all travel to recommending travel for fully vaccinated individuals.

Among those now listed at Level 3 are France, Ecuador, the Philippines, South Africa, Canada, Mexico, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Honduras, Hungary and Italy.

An additional 50 countries and territories have been lowered to Level 2 or Level 1.

Countries ranked lowest for COVID-19 risks now include Singapore, Israel, South Korea, Iceland, Belize and Albania.

The US State Department said it had updated its recommendations to reflect a recent methodology update.

The agency said the new criteria for a Level 4 “avoid all travel” recommendation has changed to 500 cases per 100,000 from 100 COVID-19 cases per 100,000.

The agency added that many countries have lower ratings “because of the criteria changes or because their outbreaks are better controlled”.

The United States bars nearly all non-US citizens who have been to China, the United Kingdom, Ireland, India, South Africa, Brazil, Iran and the 26 Schengen nations in Europe without border controls within the previous 14 days.

Meanwhile, president Joe Biden’s administration is forming expert working groups with Canada, Mexico, the EU and the UK to determine how best to restart travel safely after 15 months of pandemic restrictions.

Related posts:

Officer who fatally shot black man in Minneapolis ‘meant to reach for Taser – not handgun’, police say ‘Prime suspect’ and his father arrested in 1996 missing student cold case Ex-cop who fatally shot black motorist during traffic stop to be charged Ex-cop Derek Chauvin refuses to testify over George Floyd killing as defence rests case US sanctions on Russia show Biden means business – but it won’t change Putin’s actions Scientist who helped invent Post-It Notes dies aged 80 Prince Harry faces backlash in the US after calling First Amendment ‘bonkers’ Woman shot dead by toddler during work Zoom call, police say France accuses US of ‘stabbing it in back’ and behaving like Donald Trump over Australian submarine deal US central bank could raise interest rates three times next year as inflation accelerates One year on from getting the keys to the White House, how has Joe Biden fared as US president? Gabby Petito’s boyfriend confessed to her murder before taking his own life, says FBI