CDC Adds 6 Destinations to Its “High” Covid Travel Risk Category

(CNN) — The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, added six destinations to the “high” risk category for travel on Monday due to a spike in Covid-19 infections.

Two Central American countries—El Salvador and Honduras—received a Level 3 “high” risk designation. Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland and Fiji were included in Tier 3.

Level 3 became the highest level of risk in April after the CDC revised its rating system to assess the risk of Covid-19 to travelers.

The designation applies to places with more than 100 infections per 100,000 inhabitants in the past 28 days. Level 2 and Level 1 are considered “moderate” and “low” risk, respectively.

All six of these locations received “high” risk designations on July 25, 2022.

• Bangladesh
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Savior
• Fiji
• Honduras
• Poland

There were over 120 Tier 3 slots on July 25. About half of the approximately 235 sites monitored by the CDC are 3 sites.

Level 4, previously a high-risk category, is now reserved for special circumstances such as very high numbers of cases, the emergence of a new variant of concern, or the collapse of health care infrastructure. Under the new system, Tier 4 targets have not been set yet.

More about level 3 travel risk

Much of Europe has stubbornly stayed in Tier 3 for months with the summer travel season in full swing. As of July 25, the rest of Tier 3 includes the following popular European destinations:

• France

• Germany

• Greece

• Ireland

• Italy

• The Netherlands

• Norway

• Portugal

• Spain

• United Kingdom

These are not the only high-end locations in Tier 3. Among those in the “high” risk category are several locations around the world, including:

• Brazil

• Canada

• Costa Rica

• Malaysia

• Mexico

• South Korea

• Thailand

• Turkey

The CDC recommends that you stay up to date on your Covid-19 vaccinations before heading to a Tier 3 destination. Stay up-to-date” Not only do you get your initial full set of vaccines, but you also get any boosters you’re eligible for.

Level 2 travel risk due to Covid-19

Places carrying the “Stage 2: Moderate Covid-19” designation have reported between 50 and 100 cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 people in the last 28 days. The CDC designated five new Tier 2 sites on Monday:

• Equatorial Guinea

• India

• Moldova

• Philippines

• To go

The move is bad news for the five places that moved up from Tier 1. There are less than 20 spots in the “moderate” risk category this week.

You can view CDC risk levels for any global destination On the travel recommendations page From the agency.

In your big travel guideThe CDC recommends that you stay up-to-date on your vaccinations before traveling internationally.

Level 1

To be listed as “Tier 1: Low Covid-19”, there must have been 49 or fewer new cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days. On 25 July two new destinations were added to the category: Angola and Comoros.

There are more than 30 places in the “low” risk category this week.

Some of the more popular destinations in the “low” risk category this week include Indonesia and Tanzania.

Unknown places

Finally, there are places where the CDC considers the risk “unknown” due to a lack of information. Usually, but not always, these are small, remote places or places with ongoing wars or riots. Two destinations were added this week: Dominica and Ethiopia.

The CDC advises avoiding travel to these locations precisely because the risks are unknown. French Polynesia, Hungary, Macau and the Maldives are other destinations in this category that usually attract the attention of tourists.

Nearly 65 locations were listed as “unknown” this week.

A medical professional assesses travel risk levels

According to Dr. Lena Wen, a CNN medical analyst, transmission rates are only a “guide” to assess individual risks for travelers.

“We’ve entered a stage in the epidemic where people have to make their own decisions based on their medical circumstances and their risk tolerance when it comes to getting infected with Covid-19,” said Wen, a physician and professor in the ER. George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health Health Policy and Management.

According to Wen, there are other factors to consider besides exchange rates.

“Another is what precautions are needed and to follow where you are going, and the third is what you plan to do once you get there,” he said.

“Are you planning to go to a lot of fancy places and go to closed bars? That’s a lot different than going to a place where you’re planning to spend all day on the beach without meeting anyone. That’s very different. They’re very different levels. Risk.”

Because unvaccinated travelers are more likely to get sick and spread COVID-19 to others, vaccination is the most important safety factor for travel, Wen said.

It’s also important to consider what you will do if you end up testing positive from home.

American travelers though They no longer have to provide a negative Covid-19 test For those returning home from international destinations, the CDC still recommends getting tested before boarding flights to the U.S. and not traveling if you’re sick.

“Of course, if people have symptoms or exposure during travel, they should be tested, and if they test positive, follow the CDC isolation guidelines,” Wen recently told CNN Travel.