The Atlanta-based Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has moved Spain into its highest travel risk level and asked American nationals and residents to avoid visiting Spain due to rising cases of COVID-19.

Yesterday the CDC added Spain to a growing list of European countries where the Omicron strain of the coronavirus is becoming the dominant variant of the infection. The American health body said that “if you must travel to Spain, make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel.” “Because of the current situation in Spain, even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants,” the CDC added.

Spain’s two-week infection rate stands at 500 cases per 100,000 people and is in what Spain describes as being a high-risk category. Cases of the Omicron variant now make up 47% of new infections, according to information released by Spain’s Ministry of Health.

Currently, unvaccinated US travelers who aren’t residents or nationals of Spain cannot travel to Spain for non-essential reasons such as tourism. Those who are fully vaccinated and can prove it through official vaccination documentation can visit Spain for leisure. On November 8th, the United States lifted Covid travel restrictions on passengers from Spain if they were fully vaccinated and met other conditions such as getting tested before travel.

With the Omicron now the predominant strain in the United States, the worry is that entry requirements could change at any moment and that entry restrictions will be imposed.