In fact, seven destinations in Asia and the Caribbean have been relegated to the CDC’s Level 1 travel risk category, which is Level 1. The transition to this enviable ranking on Monday was island getaways, the Philippines and Saint Kitts and Nevis. However, much of Europe – including its popular tourist destinations – has stubbornly remained at Level 4. Take the United Kingdom for example. It is in Level 4 from July 19, 2021. This places England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the “Very High” risk category for Covid-19. The CDC defines a destination as Level 4 risk when more than 500 cases per 100,000 inhabitants have been reported in the last 28 days.
CDC: Avoid Level 4 Destinations
The Ha’penny Bridge is a distinctive symbol of Dublin, Ireland. Like almost all of Europe, Ireland is at Level 4 of the CDC. Shutterstock It is not just the United Kingdom. Many of Europe’s big names remain at Level 4 as winter ascends and the spring travel season begins. On April 11, this list included the following parts: • France • Germany • Greece • Ireland • Italy • Malta • Netherlands • Portugal • Spain However, it is not just Europe that is currently stuck in Level 4 destinations with high traffic. In Asia, Hong Kong, South Korea and Thailand are at Level 4. In South America, Brazil and Chile are still in the highest risk category. The same is true of the Central American lush escape to Costa Rica. Other favorites waiting for a better grade from the CDC: Aruba, Australia and Bermuda. However, the general trend in risk levels has been declining for much of the world in recent weeks, and especially in Africa risk ratings have declined. At the end of February, the number of points in Level 4 increased to more than 140, reflecting the huge range and rapid spread of Omicron. But on April 11, that number dropped to about 90 destinations. This is less than half of the approximately 235 seats monitored by the CDC. The CDC advises you to avoid traveling to Level 4 countries. The CDC thresholds for travel health alerts are based primarily on the number of Covid-19 cases in a destination. The CDC does not include the United States on its list of advice, but it was color-coded in Level 3 on April 11 on the agency map with travel risk levels. In its broader travel guidance, the CDC recommended that you avoid all international travel while fully vaccinated.
A few changes to Level 3
View of the old town at the Red Sea coastal resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. Egypt was placed in Level 3 by the CDC on Monday. Okla Michal / CTK / AP The Level 3 “high risk” category – which applies to destinations with 100 to 500 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 28 days – had just two additions on Monday. It was: • Egypt • Saint Martin Both were previously at Level 4. People who want to take a trip to Europe but want to avoid the higher risk destinations have only a few options here: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, all in the Balkan Peninsula or Armenia, in the mountainous Caucasus region.
Level 2
Destinations designated “Level 2: Moderate Covid-19” have seen 50 to 99 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 28 days. The only new entry to Level 2 on April 11 is Guyana, a small nation in northern South America that does not see many obstacles to international visitors. Guyana was at Level 3.
Level 1
Pinagbuyutan Island is just one representative of the many stunning ocean spots in the Philippines. Travelers looking for a destination with a “Low” risk rating from the CDC have it here, although the ranking changes every week. Igor Tichonow / Adobe Stock At a promising sign for travelers, Level 1 saw the most traffic. To be in “Level 1: Low Covid-19”, a destination must have had less than 50 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 28 days. Seven places were moved to Level 1 on Monday: • Bangladesh • Haiti • Myanmar • Philippines • Saint Kitts and Nevis • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines • Saudi Arabia The biggest moves belonged to Haiti, Myanmar and Saudi Arabia, which were at Level 4. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines were at Level 3 and the rest went down from Level 2. Most of the Level 1 destinations are in Africa, including Ghana, Kenya, Morocco and Senegal.
Unknown
Finally, there are destinations for which the CDC has an “unknown” risk due to lack of information. Usually, but not always, these are small, remote places or places with constant war or unrest. The CDC made three additions to the class on Monday: • Burkina Faso • Faroe Islands • Madagascar Burkina Faso was at Level 1 and the other two were at Level 4. The Azores, Cambodia, Macao and Tanzania are among the sites currently listed in the Unknown Category. The CDC advises you not to travel to these places precisely because the hazards are unknown.
A medical expert weighs the risk levels
Transmission rates are “a guide” for travelers’ personal risk calculations, according to CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen. “We are entering a phase of the pandemic where people have to make their own decisions based on their medical condition as well as their risk tolerance when it comes to Covid-19,” Wen said in mid-February. “You have to interpret Level 4 as meaning that this is a place with a lot of community transmission of Covid-19. So if you go, you are more likely to get infected with the coronavirus,” said Wen, who is an emergency physician and Professor of Health Policy and Management at the George Washington Institute School of Public Health. Some people will decide that the risk is too high for them, Wen said. “Other people will say, ‘Because I’m vaccinated and empowered, I’m willing to take that risk.” “So, it’s really going to be a personal decision that people are weighing, understanding that right now the CDC is sorting out the different levels based on the community’s transmission rates, and basically just that,” Wen said. “They do not take into account individual circumstances.”
More thoughts on travel
There are other factors that need to be weighed in addition to transmission rates, according to Wen. “Transmission rates are a guide,” Wen said. “The precautions that are required and followed in the place you are going to are different and the third is what you intend to do once you are there. “Do you plan to visit many attractions and go to indoor bars? This is very different from going somewhere where you plan to lie on the beach all day and not interact with anyone else. This is very different. These are very different levels of risk.” . Vaccination is the most important safety factor for travelers, as unvaccinated travelers are more likely to get sick and pass Covid-19 to others, Wen said. People should wear a high-quality mask – N95, KN95 or KF94 – whenever they are in crowded indoor areas with people of unknown vaccination status, he said. And it is also important to think about what you would do if you ended up being positive outside the home. Where will you stay and how easy will it be to take a test to get home? Top image: The beach at Carvoeiro on the Algarve coast of Portugal. (Ines / Adobe Stock)
