Americans told to stay away from “dangerous” UK

While Britons celebrated "Freedom Day", Americans were told to stay away from a potentially dangerous destination: the UK. 

The US State Department has raised its travel advisory for the UK to the highest Level 4: "Do Not Travel," Travel Mole reported.

It cites "a very high level" of Covid-19 in the country; the State Department said.

The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) earlier raised its own advisory.

"There are restrictions in place affecting US citizen entry into the United Kingdom." it said. "Your risk of contracting Covid-19 and developing severe symptoms may be lower if you are fully vaccinated with an FDA authorized vaccine." 

The UK was previously at Level 3: "Reconsider Travel."

The CDC asks all Americans to avoid Level 4 destinations but if travel is essential, they should be fully vaccinated, it recommends.

"Because of the current situation in the United Kingdom, even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk for getting and spreading Covid-19 variants,'' the CDC said.

It comes as UK and US trade groups and airlines have been applying pressure on both governments to take action to restart non-essential travel across the Atlantic.

The UK yesterday surpassed 50,000 new daily cases, the highest tally in six months but the bulk of its population is now vaccinated and many Covid restrictions have been lifted.

The US has had 34 million cases of Covid.