The US eased its travel advisory for India on Monday, lowering it to Level 2: Moderate. The new travel advisory of Level 2 which is considered as safe came in the wake of the significant improvement in COVID-19 situation in India. Early this year, the US had put India in Level 4, asking its citizens not to travel to India, which at that point of time was experiencing an unprecedented second wave of COVID-19.

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has now issued a Level 2 Travel Health Notice for India due to COVID-19, indicating a moderate level of COVID-19 in the country. "Your risk of contracting COVID-19 and developing severe symptoms may be lower if you are fully vaccinated with an FDA authorised vaccine. Before planning any international travel, please review the CDC's specific recommendations for vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers," the State Department said.

At the same time, the State Department urged Americans not to travel to Jammu and Kashmir (except the eastern Ladakh region and its capital, Leh) due to terrorism and civil unrest. They have also been advised not to travel within 10 km of the India-Pakistan border due to the potential for armed conflict.

Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus cases in India rose to 3.22 crore on Monday and the death toll climbed to 4.31 lakh, according to data by the Union Health Ministry.  The Indian government on Monday also imposed restrictions on export of COVID-19 rapid antigen testing kits amid several experts warning of a possible third wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

"The export of COVID-19 rapid antigen testing kits... has been put under restricted category, with immediate effect," the directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) said in a notification. Exporters have to seek licence or permission from the DGFT to ship items under the restricted category. Such restrictions are aimed at increasing the domestic availability of the kits.

With PTI inputs