The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has heightened the travel warning for Americans by adding three destinations to its “high” risk list as COVID cases within the locations rise amid the spread of the BA.5 variant.
On Monday, Romania, Moldova, and St. Pierre and Miquelon were upgraded to the best risk level for travel as COVID cases reached greater than 100 cases per 100,000 residents reported up to now 28 days.
Now listed within the Level 3 “high” category, the three places join nearly 125 locations which have been placed on the warning list as of Aug. 1. The CDC is currently monitoring about 235 places for COVID risks.
Level 3 is the best risk category from the CDC because it revamped its travel warning categories. Level 4, which was previously the best risk category, has now been reserved for extreme COVID cases, the emergence of a latest variant, or the collapse of a nation’s healthcare system. There aren’t any destinations listed in Level 4 currently.
Also sitting within the Level 3 “high” risk category is now much of Europe, the Caribbean, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Australia.
The CDC advises American travelers to be up up to now with their COVID vaccines before traveling to a Level 3 location but warns that “Even for those who are up up to now together with your COVID-19 vaccines, chances are you’ll still be in danger for getting and spreading COVID-19.”
Also seeing category changes on Monday were Indonesia and Nepal, which moved up a rung to the Level 2 “moderate” risk category from Level 1 “low” risk as their COVID situations worsened in recent days.
A Level 2 nation has between 50 to 100 COVID cases per 100,000 residents reported up to now 28 days.
There are about 20 places listed within the Level 2 category, including high-profile spots similar to India, the Philippines, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, and Zambia.
No latest updates were made to the CDC’s Level 1 “low” risk category this week, which sees a destination as having 49 or fewer COVID cases per 100,000 residents over the past 28 days.
Level 1 does currently have about 30 locations listed within the category, including Cuba, Egypt, China, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Uganda.
Lastly, one nation was added to the CDC’s unfavorable “unknown” risk category with the addition of Vietnam. The “unknown” category is reserved for places which have unreliable details about their COVID situation as a result of their remoteness, ongoing warfare, or unrest. The CDC advises American travelers to avoid visiting a destination listed within the “unknown” category because the risks of contracting COVID-19 are simply unknown.
Vietnam was previously listed as a Level 3 “high” risk nation.
There are about 65 locations with an “unknown” status given by the CDC.