The State Department warns Americans not to fly to UK because of its COVID-19 outbreak

• The US State Department has told Americans not to travel to the UK due to a surge in COVID-19 cases there.
• "Do not travel to the United Kingdom due to COVID-19," the agency wrote in an updated advisory.
• COVID-19 cases in the UK continue to rise, with nearly 40,000 new infections reported on Monday.

The US State Department has urged Americans not to travel to the United Kingdom because of a surge in coronavirus cases there.

"Do not travel to the United Kingdom due to COVID-19," the agency wrote in an updated advisory posted Monday.

COVID-19 cases in the UK continue to rise, with nearly 40,000 new infections reported on Monday. Despite the recent surge in cases, the UK government lifted most of its COVID-19 restrictions.

The State Department raised the travel advisory for the UK to a Level 4 - "Do Not Travel" - after the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention elevated its warnings for travel there.

The CDC "has issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice for the United Kingdom due to COVID-19, indicating a very high level of COVID-19 in the country," the State Department said in its advisory.

In a warning issued earlier Monday, the CDC told Americans to "avoid travel to the United Kingdom."

"If you must travel to the United Kingdom, make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel," the CDC said, adding, "Because of the current situation in the United Kingdom, even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants."