The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have placed a Nordic travel favourite on their “high” risk list for Covid-19, along with two other places.
The three continents represented by the three new destinations on Tuesday are:
* Guatemala* Morocco * Sweden
In April, the CDC updated its rating system to assess Covid-19 risk in travelers.
Level 3, also known as “high,” is the highest level of risk. It applies to areas that have experienced more than 100 cases per 100,000 residents within the last 28 days. Level 2 and Level 1 are both considered to be “low” and “moderate risk, respectively.
The three new Level 3 entries on Tuesday were previously at Level 2.
Sweden is a nation known for its natural beauty and culture. It was one of only a few European countries to make it past the “high” risk category since the rating overhaul. It was also moved to the “moderate risk” list along with Romania on June 21. Romania is still at Level 2 this week
On July 5, there were nearly 115 destinations in Level 3. Nearly half of all the 235 places that the CDC monitors are located at Level 3.
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.
Learn more about Level 3
Many European destinations have been stuck at Level 3 for many months, with summer travel season in full swing. These top European destinations were still at Level 3.
* France* Germany* Greece* Ireland* Italy* The Netherlands* Norway* Portugal* Spain* United Kingdom
These aren’t only the most prominent spots that fall under Level 3. Many other locations around the globe are in the “high risk” category.
* Brazil * Canada* Costa Rica * Malaysia* Mexico * South Korea* Thailand* Turkey
The CDC recommends that you have your Covid-19 vaccinations up-to-date before you travel to 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 per 100,000 inhabitants. On Tuesday, the CDC moved three levels to this level.
* Jordan* Lebanon* North Macedonia
This was bad news for Jordan and Lebanon in the Middle East, who had previously been at Level 1. The positive news for North Macedonia, Europe’s Balkans was that the move was in a positive way, as it had previously been at Level 3.
This week, there are 20 spots in the moderate risk category.
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.
Niveau 1
A destination can only be classified as “Level 1 Covid-19 Low” if it has had 49 or less new cases per 100,000 residents in the last 28 days. On July 5, two small island destinations were added as a category.
* Saba* Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saba in the Caribbean had been at Level 2. Saint Pierre and Miquelon were French archipelagos south of Newfoundland. Canada had Level 3.
Some of the most popular destinations in the “low risk” category this week are India, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Unknown
The CDC also identifies destinations that are “unknown” because they lack sufficient information. These are usually remote areas or areas with ongoing war or unrest. This week, four new places were added:
* Haiti* Hungary* Iran * Mozambique
Last week, Mozambique, Iran, and Haiti all had been at Level 1. Hungary, which is a popular stop on the Eastern European travel route, was at Level 3.
These places are not recommended by the CDC because of unknown risks. French Polynesia and Macau are other destinations that attract more tourists to this category.
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 planning on doing things 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 your test results are positive far away.
Although US-bound travelers do not need to submit a negative Covid-19 testing to fly home, the CDC recommends that you have your test done before you board any flight to the States.
CNN Travel’s Wen said recently that “Officially, if people have symptoms, or exposure while traveling,” they should be tested. If they do, we recommend following CDC’s isolation guidelines.
Check here if you have concerns about any travel-related health issues not related to Covid-19.
