(CNN) — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added no new destinations to its list of “high” Covid-19 risk nations and regions on Monday. But “high” risk sites — defined as Level 3 — still account for nearly 130 of the roughly 235 sites monitored by the CDC. These are more than half of the places on the CDC website, and some of these destinations are among the most popular for tourists around the world. Only one country, the sparsely populated desert nation of Namibia, dropped from Level 3 to a lower risk rating this week. The designation applies to places that have had more than 100 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the past 28 days. Level 2 and Level 1 are considered “moderate” and “low” risk, respectively. Relatively few places in the world are currently in Levels 2 or 1. Level 4, previously the highest risk category, is now reserved only for special circumstances, such as extremely high cases, the emergence of a new variant of concern or the collapse of healthcare infrastructure. Under the new system, no Tier 4 destinations have been placed so far. “Unknown” is for places from which CDC did not receive enough date to make an assessment.
More on Level 3
Amsterdam’s bridges and canals are a favorite among tourists in the Netherlands, which ranks at Level 3 along with much of Europe. Yasonya/Adobe Stock Much of Europe has been stuck at Level 3 for months now, with the summer travel season winding down. The following popular European destinations were among those that remained at Level 3 as of August 22: • France • Germany • Greece • Ireland • Italy • Netherlands • Norway • Portugal • Spain • United Kingdom These aren’t the only high-profile spots that are in Level 3. Many other destinations around the world are in the “high” risk category, including: • Brazil • Canada • Costa Rica • Malaysia • Mexico • South Korea • Thailand • Turkey And Level 3 isn’t limited to heavy hitters. Case in point: Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, a self-governing archipelagic territory of France located off the southern coast of Newfoundland in Canada, and the French island department of Réunion in the Indian Ocean also fall into this category. The CDC advises that you be up to date on your Covid-19 vaccinations before traveling to a Tier 3 destination. Being “up to date” means that you have had not only the full initial vaccinations but also any boosters that you are eligible for.
Level 2
A beautiful sunset highlights the sand dunes of the Namib Desert at Sossusvlei, Namibia. The South West African nation was downgraded to Level 2 this week. Iulia Sokolovska/Adobe Stock Destinations rated “Level 2: Moderate Covid-19” have reported 50 to 100 cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 inhabitants in the past 28 days. The CDC added two Tier 2 destinations on Monday: • Cuba• Namibia The move was bad news for Cuba, who were in Tier 1. Namibia dropped from Tier 3. There are only 19 positions listed in Level 2 this week. Some of the most popular places in this category are India, Kenya and South Africa. In its broader travel guidelines, the CDC recommends being up to date on your vaccinations before traveling internationally.
Level 1
To be listed as “Level 1: Low Covid-19”, a destination must have had 49 or fewer new cases per 100,000 residents in the last 28 days. Only one new country was added to the category on August 22: Saudi Arabia, which was in Tier 2. Just 22 positions were in the “low” risk category this week. Some of the most popular places with global travelers in the “low” risk category this week included Egypt and Tanzania.
Unknown
Finally, there are the destinations that the CDC has deemed to be of “unknown” risk due to a lack of information. Usually, but not always, these are small, remote places or places with constant war or unrest. A new destination was added this week: The small West African nation of Benin, which was in Tier 1. The CDC advises against traveling to these places precisely because the risks are unknown. Other destinations in this category that usually attract the attention of tourists include Hungary, Maldives and Vietnam. There are nearly 70 places listed as “unknown” this week, which is nearly a third of all places tracked.
A medical expert weighs the levels of risk
Transmission rates are just “a guide” for travelers’ personal risk calculations, according to CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen. We have moved into “a phase of the pandemic where people have to make their own decisions based on their medical conditions as well as their risk tolerance when it comes to contracting Covid-19,” said Wen, who is an emergency physician and Professor of Health Policy and Management at the George Washington Institute School of Public Health. There are other factors to weigh besides transmission rates, according to Wen. “One is what precautions are required and followed where you are going and the third is what you plan to do once you are there,” he said. “Are you planning to do a lot of sightseeing and go to indoor bars? That’s very different than going somewhere where you plan to lie on the beach all day and not interact with anyone else. That’s very different. Those are very different levels of risk.” . Vaccination is the most important safety factor for travel, as unvaccinated travelers are more likely to get sick and spread Covid-19 to others, Wen said. And it’s also important to think about what you would do if you end up testing positive outside the home. While U.S.-bound travelers no longer need to present a negative Covid-19 test to return home from international destinations, the CDC still advises testing before boarding flights returning to the United States and not traveling if you are sick. » Of course, if people have symptoms or exposure while traveling, they should be tested and if they test positive, follow the CDC’s isolation guidelines,” Wen recently told CNN Travel. check here. Top image: Moored boats dot the beach in Buzios, a resort town not far from Rio de Janeiro. (Ekaterina Belova/Adobe Stock)
