As Israel’s coronavirus cases continue to surge, the US Centers for Disease Control on Monday raised its travel alert level to high.

The CDC now lists Israel as “Level 3: High,” only one level below its most severe travel rating, a major jump since June when the CDC lowered Israel’s travel rating to “Level 1: Low.”

The CDC website warns that US citizens traveling to Israel should be fully vaccinated and those who are unvaccinated should avoid non-essential trips there.

“Because of the current situation in Israel, all travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants,” it states.

Israel on Tuesday confirmed a high of over 2,000 new daily coronavirus cases in the previous 24 hours, the highest number since March. There are currently 12,385 active cases, with 138 patients in serious condition, a number that has more than doubled in a week.

About 10% of those diagnosed on Monday were travelers who had returned from abroad within the previous ten days, Kan News reported. Another report by Channel 12 said that about 2,000 travelers who entered Israel this month were positive for COVID.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)