‘High Risk’: CDC Warns US Citizens Against All Non-Essential To Malta, Putting Island On ‘Warning Level Three’
It might be almost impossible for Americans to get into the EU for a cheeky summer holiday in these COVID-19 times, but in case any US citizens manage to find a loophole, they’ve now also got a CDC warning telling them to avoid the “high risk” that is Malta.
“CDC recommends travelers avoid all nonessential international travel to Malta,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement last updated earlier today. “Travelers at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 should consider postponing all travel, including essential travel, to Malta.”
“COVID-19 risk in Malta is high, and if you get sick in Malta and need medical care, resources may be limited,” the statement continues.
Key points of the warning include potential entry requirements and restrictions for arriving travellers, such as mandatory testing or quarantine.
“Local policies at your destination may require you to be tested for COVID-19 before you are allowed to enter the country,” the statement follows. “If you test positive on arrival, you may be required to isolate for a period of time. You may even be prevented from returning to the United States, as scheduled. You might consider getting tested before your trip.”
Going on to give examples of essential travel, the CDC statement seems to imply that only travel for things such as “humanitarian aid work, medical reasons, or family emergencies” is to be considered when it comes to travelling to Malta for the time being.
Meanwhile, the CDC has placed Malta in the third, highest threat level: Warning – Level 3.
While the US remains a restricted country when it comes to the European Union’s 26 countries, the EU’s open-border Schengen area has led to a number of loopholes.
Just today, a Politico report revealed some of the ways American citizens are exploiting the current system to book a cheeky summer getaway in Europe, with one Miami resident currently enjoying the Spanish sun after travelling through the United Kingdom.
This bending of rules has led to weaker quarantine regulations with people who shouldn’t even be in certain European countries, but beyond the bloc’s sealing of its outer borders, it seems like American citizens now have a new deterrant ahead of them if they were planning a holiday in Malta.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases on the island continue to surge, with 20 more patients being confirmed earlier today in the midst of one of Malta’s worst weeks for new cases since the virus landed on our shores back in March.
With 267 current active cases as a result of a 8,800% increase in just 20 days, the country is very quickly approaching 1,000 total confirmed cases of COVID-19.
What do you make of this?
READ NEXT: WIN: Slashed Prices For Youths And Kids When Visiting Sicily From Malta This Summer
