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Mexico had spent a couple of months on the naughty list of the U.S. State Department with a level four warning for travelers. On March 7th the country was upgraded to a level 3 travel advisory warning. The main issue that seems to have landed Mexico on the top levels of travel advisory published by the U.S. State Department is the current COVID situation in the country. Granted, that’s not the only thing that travelers may need to be worried about.
The updated travel advisory document mentions that traveling to Mexico could put you at a high risk of contracting COVID-19. Even though local numbers, at least in the Cabo region seem to indicate that the COVID situation is subsiding.
What The Current Travel Advisory Level Means For U.S. Travelers
The level 3 advisory warning for travelers urges people to reconsider travel plans to the country. That doesn’t mean that the US government is taking further steps to get US nationals to avoid traveling to Mexico. On top of the COVID situation the official document announcing the travel advisory update did reference Mexico’s security issues. That’s another one of the reasons why it remains at level 3 on the advisory list.
One of the recommendations that the US State Department makes to folks who do decide to travel to the country is to be fully vaccinated. Mentioning that being fully vaccinated lowers your risk of contracting COVID-19. In spite of this recommendation US travelers are not required to be vaccinated to be able to travel to Mexico. Although they are going to be required to take a COVID test to be able to access their return flight home.
COVID Numbers In Cabo Are Decreasing
These travel advisories are issued for the entire country. In a country like Mexico the situation with COVID, and even crime and security issues can vary greatly from region to region. For people looking to travel to the Cabo region you may be pleased to know that COVID numbers in the region are on the decline. The peak of the Omicron COVID days hit the Cabo region at the end of January, and the beginning of February. At that point local authorities were reporting an average of around 1k new COVID cases per day.
The current COVID landscape in the area seems much more promising. With only about 100 new COVID cases being reported in the entire state of Baja California per day. In the Cabo region US tourists that decide to travel to the area are potentially going to see certain COVID protocols in place. For example most popular tourist spots in the area are operating at only 80% capacity.
Other Important Information For US Travelers Looking To Vacation In Cabo
Besides COVID the US State Department has tagged parts of Mexico as areas where a high risk of kidnapping and crime in general are present. The official press release from the department also has a list of ways that Americans can contact their embassy should they run into an issue on Mexico soil. There’s actually a US consulate in San Jose del Cabo that American tourists can physically go to if they need help from US authorities during their Cabo visit. The fact that Mexico as a whole is on the travel advisory list doesn’t affect the type of help that travelers may receive from their embassy.
We mentioned already that there’s no vaccine requirement to be able to enter Mexico. You won’t have to be walking around with your proof of vaccination either. A negative COVID test, and filling out a COVID questionnaire are virtually the only two bureaucratic COVID related requirements to access the country. That’s one of the main reasons why American tourists continue to flock to Cabo beaches.