Bermuda is “one of the safest destinations on the planet” in the Covid-19 pandemic, the new United States Consul General said yesterday.Lee Rizzuto, who took up the post last month, said the island’s test regime for the novel coronavirus was “effective” and that cases in Bermuda had remained at a low level. He was speaking after the Government complained to US authorities after the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention listed Bermuda as a high-risk destination.But Mr Rizzuto said: “The strict protocols put in place for travellers and residents by the Government of Bermuda has limited risks island-wide, and has created a generally safe environment for many with the opening of the airport and resumption of most businesses.”The island’s Covid-19 status was said by the CDCP to be “Level 3 — High” — which sparked a protest to Mr Rizzuto by the Government.Mr Rizzuto added that the Department of State, in co-ordination with the CDCP, lifted its global level 4 health advisory, put in place on March 19, last Friday. The advisory warned US citizens to avoid international travel. Mr Rizzuto said the lifting of the Level 4 advisory lowered the risk status for many countries, including Bermuda, to global level 3.Mr Rizzuto said American citizens should read country-specific travel advisories and the US Embassy and Consulate Covid-19 pages for updates on the impact of the virus worldwide.He added: “We encourage US citizens to stay informed and follow updates on Travel.state.gov, and to enrol in the Smart Traveller enrolment programme to receive timely alerts about evolving health and safety conditions in their planned destinations.”Last night a spokeswoman for the Bermuda Government referred The Royal Gazette to last week’s statement, which said: “According to the World Health Organisation, Bermuda only has sporadic cases. This is the lowest WHO classification outside of No Covid-19 cases.”