The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (USCDC) has added four countries to its “high” list of Covid-19-risk destinations, including a charming Caribbean country.
On Monday, St. Kitts and Nevis (part of the Leeward Islands east off Puerto Rico) was added to the Level 3 category. This destination is well-known for its beautiful, lush landscapes and rich cultural experiences.
The CDC updated its rating system to assess Covid-19 risk in April.
Level 3 is the highest level of risk. Level 2 is considered moderate risk and Level 1 is low risk.
The highest level of risk, previously Level 4, is now reserved for exceptional circumstances such as high case counts, the emergence of a new variant or the collapse of an existing health care infrastructure. No destinations have been assigned to Level 4 under the new system.
The country that has had more than 100 cases per 10,000 residents within the last 28 days is now considered to be in “Level 3: Covid-19 high”.
The complete list of new arrivals at Level 3 Monday is here:
* Guyana* Mongolia * Namibia* St. Kitts and Nevis
All were previously at Level 2.
On June 6, there were approximately 115 destinations in Level 3. Nearly half of all the 235 places that the CDC monitors now reside at Level 3.
Level 3
Other popular destinations can also be found at Level 3.
Many European destinations have been stuck there for many months, even as summer travel season begins. These popular European destinations were still at Level 3.
* France* Germany* Greece* Ireland* Italy* The Netherlands* * Portugal* United Kingdom
Not only European favourites are at Level 3. Many notable destinations are included in the high-risk category.
* Brazil * Canada* Costa Rica * Malaysia* South Korea* Thailand
According to the CDC, you should be up-to-date on your Covid-19 vaccinations before you travel to a Level 3. You are considered “up-to date” if you have received all of your initial vaccines and any boosters.
Level 2
In the last 28 days, destinations with the “Level 2 Covid-19 Moderate” designation reported between 50 and 100 Covid-19 cases for every 100,000 residents. Only two places were elevated to this level Monday.
* Guatemala* Zimbabwe
Guatemala, home to the beautiful Lake Atitlan as well as Mayan ruins and Mayan ruins was last week at Level 3. This was bad news for Zimbabwe, a safari destination in southern Africa. It was at Level 1.
On June 6, there were approximately 15 destinations in Level 2.
The CDC has provided information on its travel recommendations page that allows you to view their risk levels for any destination worldwide.
The CDC recommends that you avoid all international travel until your immunity is fully restored.
Check here if you have concerns about any travel-related health issues not related to Covid-19.
Niveau 1
A destination can only be considered “Level 1: Covid-19 low” if it has had 49 or less new cases per 100,000 residents in the last 28 days. Only two new destinations were added to this category on June 6.
* Iran* Lebanon
Both Middle Eastern countries were at Level 2 last Wednesday.
Unknown
The CDC also considers certain destinations to be “unknown” because they lack sufficient information. These are usually remote areas or places that have ongoing war or unrest.
Libya was the only country to be added to this category in June 6.
These places are not recommended by the CDC because of unknown risks. This category includes destinations such as Macau, Tanzania, Cambodia, and the Canary Islands.
A medical expert reviews the risk levels
According to CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen, transmission rates are only “one guidepost” that travelers can use for their personal risk calculations.
We have entered “a phase of the pandemic” where people must make their own decisions based upon their medical conditions as well as their risk tolerance in regards to Covid-19. Wen is an emergency physician who is also a professor of health policy management at the George Washington University Milken Institute school of public health.
According to Wen, there are many other factors that must be weighed in addition to transmission speeds.
She said, “Another is what precautions must be taken and followed in the area you’re going to and then the third is how are you going to get there once you’re there.”
Are you going to be visiting a lot of attractions, and then go to bars indoors? This is very different to if you are going somewhere where your intention is to just lay on the beach and interact with no one else. It’s quite different. These are two very different levels risk.
Wen stated that vaccination is the most important safety factor when traveling, as unvaccinated travelers are more susceptible to becoming ill and passing Covid-19 to others.
It’s important to think about what you would do if you were to test positive abroad. What will you do if you are unable to return to your home country?
