The CDC adds 2 destinations to the ‘high’ travel risk category

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(CNN) — A popular Middle Eastern destination and a small Dutch Caribbean island were added to the CDC’s “high” travel risk category on Monday.

Jordan and St. Eustatius were the only two added to the Level 3, “high” risk category.

Jordan is home to many of the world’s greatest civilizations and a newly recognized UNESCO site. St. Eustatius, also called Statia, is 6 miles (10 km) long and up to 3 miles (5 km) wide, and the island is dominated by Quill, a dormant volcano.

Level 3 areas account for more than half of the 235 areas monitored by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Level 3 became the highest level of risk in April after completing the rating system to assess exposure to Covid-19.

The designation applies to areas with more than 100 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days. Level 2 and Level 1 are considered “medium” and “low” risk, respectively.

In summary, these two destinations were added to Level 3 on August 8:

• Jordan
• Saint Eustatius

Level 4, formerly a high-risk category, is now reserved for exceptional circumstances, such as extreme cases, a new strain of stress, or a breakdown in healthcare infrastructure. Under the new system, no destinations have yet been placed at Level 4.

More on step 3

Much of Europe has been stuck at level 3 during the summer travel season, now typically busy for months in August. Among those remaining in Tier 3 as of August 8 are the following popular European destinations:

• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Ireland
• Italy
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Portugal
• Spain
• united kingdom

Those aren’t the only high-profile spots that find themselves at Level 3. Several other destinations around the world are among those in the “high” risk category.

• Brazil
• Canada
• Costa Rica
• Malaysia
• Mexico
• South Korea
• Thailand
• Turkey

The CDC recommends that you be up to date with your Covid-19 vaccinations before traveling to a Tier 3 destination. Being “up-to-date” means you’ve gotten the boosters you’re eligible for, not just the full primary immunizations.

Senegal, along with Dakar’s Ngor area, moved to stage 2 on Monday.

Adobe Stock

Step 2

Destinations labeled “Level 2: Moderate Covid-19” have reported between 50 and 100 cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days. The CDC on Monday designated three new Tier 2 sites:

• Azerbaijan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Senegal

The move was bad news for all three places previously listed in Tier 1. There are 20 places listed in Tier 2 this week.

In its extensive travel guidance, the CDC recommends being up-to-date with your vaccinations before traveling internationally.

Step 1

To be listed as “Level 1: Low Covid-19”, a destination must have 49 or fewer new cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days. On August 8, two places were added to the category.

• Suriname
• Zimbabwe

Both destinations have been moved to a low risk level. Suriname was previously listed as Tier 3, Zimbabwe previously listed as Tier 2.

There are about 25 locations in the “low” risk category this week. A couple of the most popular places in the “low” risk category this week include Egypt and Tanzania.

Unknown

Finally, there are destinations that the CDC has deemed to have “unknown” risk due to a lack of data. Often, but not always, these are small, remote areas or areas of ongoing war or unrest.

Only one destination added this week: Malawi.

The CDC advises against traveling to these areas because the risks are unknown. Other destinations in this category that typically attract tourist attention include the Azores, Hungary and the Maldives.

About 65 locations were listed as “unknown” this week, more than a quarter of all locations monitored.

A medical professional weighs in on the risk levels

CNN medical analyst Dr. Leanna Wen said transfer pricing is only “a guideline” for travelers’ personal risk calculations.

“We’ve entered the stage of the epidemic where people have to make their own decisions based on their medical conditions and their exposure to contracting Covid-19,” said Wen, an emergency physician and professor. in Health Policy and Management at the George Washington University Milk Institute School of Public Health.

According to Wen, there are other factors to consider besides distribution size.

“The other is to be careful and follow where you’re going and then the third is what you plan to do if you’re there,” she said.

“Are you planning to visit a lot of attractions and go to local bars? That’s very different from going somewhere where you plan to lie on the beach all day and not interact with anyone. That’s very different. Very different levels of risk.”

Vaccination is the most important safety issue for travel, Wen said, because unvaccinated travelers are more likely to get sick and spread Covid-19 to others.

And it’s important to consider what to do if you test positive away from home.

While travelers to the U.S. do not have to present a negative COVID-19 test to return home from international destinations, the CDC still recommends testing before boarding flights to the U.S. and traveling if you are sick.

“Obviously, people should get tested if they have symptoms or exposure while traveling, and if they test positive, they should follow the CDC’s isolation guidelines,” Wen recently told CNN Travel.

If you’re concerned about a travel-related health condition unrelated to Covid-19, check here.

Top Image: Al-Kazneh Temple seen in ancient Petra, Jordan. (Ali Balikci/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

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