U.S. CDC Adds Singapore to Level 4 COVID List
by Daniel McCarthy /
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week added Singapore to its Level 4: Very High travel advisory list.
The news comes just as Singapore starts to open up for international travel—starting today, Americans are able to travel into Singapore as long as they show proof of vaccination and two negative COVID-19 tests (one 48 hours before departure and another upon arrival).
The news also comes as Singapore experiences a spike in COVID-19 cases. According to Worldometers, Singapore now has more daily new cases than it had at the beginning of the pandemic, with its three-day moving average reaching more than 3,500 at the beginning of October and then again more than 3,200 on Oct. 17.
The upgrade puts Singapore in a group of destinations that the CDC is telling Americans to “avoid travel” to. The group, along with Singapore, now includes Israel, Jamaica, Bermuda, the United Kingdom, Greece, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and more.
“Avoid travel to these destinations. If you must travel to these destinations, make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel,” the CDC’s Level 4 warning reads.
While the CDC’s list is simply a recommendation for American travelers, moving those countries to Level 4 raises the level of precautions that the CDC wants travelers to take.
For instance, the CDC is advising travelers who are considering entering Level 4 countries to be fully vaccinated with an FDA-authorized vaccine or a vaccine authorized by the WHO and to wear a facemask while traveling, social distance during their trip and self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms.
If symptoms appear, the CDC is advising travelers to isolate and get tested.
For those who are unvaccinated, the CDC is recommending travelers get tested with a viral test 1-3 days prior to the trip, wear and mask while traveling, avoid crowded, and then get tested again 3-5 days after travel and stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days after travel.