The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has beefed up caution for Americans by adding 3 destinations to its list of “high” threats as COVID cases accumulate in locations amid the spread of the BA. 5 variant.
On Monday, Romania, Moldova and Saint Pierre and Miquelon rose to the point of threat for travel, with COVID cases reaching more than 100 cases according to another 100,000 people reported in the past 28 days.
Now indexed in the “high” level 3 category, the 3 places are recorded in approximately 125 places that were placed on the precautionary list as of August 1. The CDC is lately tracking about 235 places for COVID risks.
Level 3 is CDC’s highest threat category since it reorganized its precautionary categories. Level 4, which in the past was the highest threat category, is now reserved for excessive cases of COVID, the emergence of a new variant, or the collapse of a country’s fitness system. Lately there are no indexed destinations at Level 4.
Much of Europe, the Caribbean, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Australia are also in the “high” category of point 3.
The CDC advises U. S. travelers to be up to date on their COVID vaccines before traveling to a Tier 3 location, but warns that “even if they are up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines, you may still be at risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19.
Indonesia and Nepal also saw category adjustments on Monday, which went from one step to the “moderate” threat category of point 2 from the “low” threat category of point 1, as their COVID has worsened in recent days.
A Tier 2 country has between 50 and 100 COVID cases according to another 100,000 people reported in the past 28 days.
There are about 20 posts indexed at the Level 2 level, high-profile posts such as India, the Philippines, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Zambia.
No new updates were made this week in the CDC’s “low” Level 1 category, which considers a destination to have 49 or fewer COVID cases consistent with 100,000 citizens in the past 28 days.
Level 1 has recently about 30 sites indexed in the category, Cuba, Egypt, China, Nigeria, Pakistan and Uganda.
Finally, one country was added to the CDC’s “unknown” adverse threat category with the addition of Vietnam. The “unknown” category is reserved for places that don’t have reliable data on their COVID scenario due to their remoteness, an ongoing war, or unrest. The CDC advises U. S. travelers to avoid visiting a destination listed in the “unknown” category because the threats of contracting COVID-19 are simply unknown.
Vietnam was in the past on the list of “high” Tier 3 threats.
There are about 65 places with an “unknown” given through the CDC.
Selfies in Venice: While the United States remains closed to European visitors due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Europe is opening its doors to American tourists. Photo: AFP / ANDRÉA PATTARO