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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the State Department have issued new travel advisories lowering the threat of COVID-19 in more than 

, including Japan, which is in the grips of a new wave of infections ahead of the Olympics next month. 

The CDC lowered Japan from its highest risk category — Level 4 — to a Level 3, on Monday, Reuters first 

. It also moved 61 other countries to the same tier and another 50 were dropped to Level 2 or Level 1. Additionally, the CDC has revised its rating for the United States from Level 4 to Level 3. 

State Department was warning Americans not to travel to this summer's Olympic host country, issuing a Level 4: Do Not Travel Advisory 

 for Japan. That stirred up international controversy as Japanese officials insisted the nation would be prepared for the Games starting on July 23 after they had been postponed for a year due to the pandemic. 

But on Tuesday the State Department followed the CDC's lead, giving the country 

. The change is not an enthusiastic endorsement as the guidance urges Americans to "reconsider travel to Japan," but it puts the department closer in line with the White House's position on the issue. The Biden administration has 

the Olympic Games in Tokyo despite dire warnings from health experts in Japan. 

Health conditions throughout Japan remain grim as officials fail to contain the spread of the virus

 strains of the virus has slowed the decline in case numbers. Some hospitals remain 

 by COVID-19 patients, and some people have died at home without being able to 

The country has also been slow in its rollout of vaccines — less than 4 percent of the population has been fully vaccinated, 

to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. 

The cumulative effect of the circumstances has led to voices being raised in Japan against the Olympics.

But regardless of the grim reality, Japanese officials are adamant that the Games will proceed safely. And the International Olympic Committee plans to implement strict virus-prevention measures that include keeping athletes segregated from the general population. The IOC is also 

Doctors warn of an Olympic cornavirus strain

But even with those measures the head of a Japanese doctors' union warned late last month of the dangers of a possible 

 with the arrival of tens of thousands of visitors from 200 nations around the world. 

"All of the different mutant strains of the virus which exist in different places will be concentrated and gathering here in Tokyo," Naoto Ueyama said at a news conference on May 27, Reuters reported. "We cannot deny the possibility of even a new strain of the virus potentially emerging."

Ueyama added: "If such a situation were to arise, it could even mean a Tokyo Olympic strain of the virus being named in this way, which would be a huge tragedy and something which would be the target of criticism, even for 100 years." 

Sports

Health

COVID-19

Vanessa Romo

Author

The revised guidelines are not an enthusiastic endorsement of travel, moving Japan from the highest risk ranking to a tier below. But the change comes as Japan struggles with a surge in infections. 

U.S. lowers travel risk rating for Japan, where COVID still shadows the Olympics

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