The US has eased travel restrictions for many countries as the roll-out of coronavirus vaccines continues.

Its public health agency updated its criteria on Monday, which saw 61 countries lowered from a Level 4 "avoid all travel" rating.

Countries such as France, Spain and Italy are now Level 3, which means fully-vaccinated passengers may go to these areas.

Travellers from the US can visit the UK but must self-isolate.

Because the US is on the UK's "amber list" visitors from the country have to self-isolate for 10 days on arrival.

But most passengers from the UK are still banned from travelling to the US.

Although the UK is listed as a Level 3 by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), under a presidential decree introduced last March, non-US citizens who have been in the UK in the last 14 days cannot enter the country unless a specific exemption applies.

Other countries that saw their ratings lowered include:

Ecuador

Philippines

South Africa

Canada

Mexico

Russia

Switzerland

Jordan

Denmark

Turkey

Ukraine

Honduras

Hungary

Japan also saw its travel rating lowered to allow vaccinated passengers to travel in the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics in late July. On 24 May, the State Department had issued a warning against the country, citing a new wave of Covid-19 cases.

(BBC)