By David Shepardson

       1 Min Read

       FILE PHOTO: Travellers make their way to the gates at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, as domestic travel picks up as coronavirus disease (COVID-19) case numbers drop, in Detroit, Michigan, U.S. June 12, 2021. REUTERS/Seth Herald

       WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday warned against travel to Afghanistan, Albania, Serbia, Belize, Lithuania and four other destinations because of COVID-19 concerns.

       The CDC raised its travel recommendations to “Level 4: Very High” for nine destinations, telling Americans they should avoid travel to the locations. The destinations also include Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Slovenia and Mauritius.

       CDC raised its warning ratings to “Level 3” for Australia, Romania and Ethiopia, while lowering Brazil from “Level 4” to “Level 3.”

       The U.S. State Department also hiked its parallel “Level 4: Do Not Travel” advisories for most of the countries named by CDC on Monday. On Aug. 31, the State Department raised Afghanistan to “Level 4: Do Not Travel.”

       Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Leslie Adler and Marguerita Choy

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