CDC provides 6 locations to ‘excessive’ danger class for journey

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(CNN) — The US Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention added six locations to its “excessive” danger class for journey on Monday.

Two Central American international locations — El Salvador and Honduras — obtained a Stage 3, “excessive” danger designation. Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland and Fiji had been additionally added to Stage 3.

Stage 3 turned the highest rung when it comes to danger degree in April after the CDC overhauled its scores system for assessing Covid-19 danger for vacationers.

The designation applies to locations which have had greater than 100 instances per 100,000 residents prior to now 28 days. Stage 2 and Stage 1 are thought-about “reasonable” and “low” danger, respectively.

To recap, these six locations obtained “excessive” danger designs on Monday:

• Bangladesh
Bosnia and Herzegovina
• El Salvador
• Fiji
• Honduras
• Poland

There have been greater than 120 locations at Stage 3 on July 25. Stage 3 areas account for about half the roughly 235 locations monitored by the CDC.

Stage 4, beforehand the very best danger class, is now reserved just for particular circumstances, equivalent to extraordinarily excessive case counts, emergence of a brand new variant of concern or well being care infrastructure collapse. Underneath the brand new system, no locations have been positioned at Stage 4 up to now.

Extra on Stage 3

A lot of Europe has been stubbornly lodged at Stage 3 for months with the summer time journey season in full swing. As of July 25, the next widespread European locations had been amongst these remaining at Stage 3:

• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Eire
• Italy
• The Netherlands
• Norway
• Portugal
• Spain
• United Kingdom

These aren’t the one high-profile spots that discover themselves at Stage 3. Quite a few different locations all over the world are amongst these within the “excessive” danger class, together with the next:

• Brazil
• Canada
• Costa Rica
• Malaysia
• Mexico
• South Korea
• Thailand
• Turkey

The CDC advises that you simply rise up up to now along with your Covid-19 vaccines earlier than touring to a Stage 3 vacation spot. Being “updated” means you haven’t solely the total preliminary vaccinations however any boosters for which you are eligible.

Stage 2

The Philippines, with Coron Island pictured, moved up to "moderate" risk on Monday.

The Philippines, with Coron Island pictured, moved as much as “reasonable” danger on Monday.

Nguyen Duy Phuong/Adobe Inventory

Locations carrying the “Stage 2: Covid-19 Average” designation reported 50 to 100 Covid-19 instances per 100,000 residents prior to now 28 days. The CDC designated 5 new Stage 2 locations on Monday:

• Equatorial Guinea
• India
• Moldova
• Philippines
• Togo

The transfer was unhealthy information for all 5 locations, which moved up from Stage 1. There are fewer than 20 locations within the “reasonable” danger class this week.

In its broader journey steering, the CDC recommends being updated along with your vaccines earlier than touring internationally.

Stage 1

To be listed as “Stage 1: Covid-19 Low,” a vacation spot will need to have had 49 or fewer new instances per 100,000 residents over the previous 28 days. Two new locations had been added to the class on July 25: Angola and Comoros.

There are greater than 30 locations within the “low” danger class this week.

A couple of of the extra widespread locations within the “low” danger class this week embody Indonesia and Tanzania.

Unknown

Lastly, there are the locations the CDC has deemed to be of “unknown” danger due to a ignorance. Often, however not at all times, these are small, distant locations or locations with ongoing warfare or unrest. Two locations had been added this week: Dominica and Ethiopian.

The CDC advises towards journey to those locations exactly as a result of the dangers are unknown. Different locations on this class that sometimes draw extra vacationer consideration embody French Polynesia, Hungary, Macau and the Maldives.

There are practically 65 locations listed as “unknown” this week.

A medical skilled weighs in on danger ranges

Transmission charges are simply “one guidepost” for vacationers’ private danger calculations, in keeping with CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen.

We have moved into “a part within the pandemic the place folks must make their very own selections based mostly on their medical circumstances in addition to their danger tolerance in terms of contracting Covid-19,” mentioned Wen, who’s an emergency doctor and professor of well being coverage and administration on the George Washington College Milken Institute College of Public Well being.

There are different components to weigh along with transmission charges, in keeping with Wen.

“One other is what precautions are required and adopted within the place that you are going after which the third is what are you planning on doing when you’re there,” she mentioned.

“Are you planning to go to a number of points of interest and go to indoor bars? That is very totally different from you are going someplace the place you are planning to lie on the seaside all day and never work together with anybody else. That is very totally different. These are very totally different ranges of danger.”

Vaccination is essentially the most important security issue for journey, since unvaccinated vacationers usually tend to develop into in poor health and transmit Covid-19 to others, Wen mentioned.

And it is also necessary to think about what you’d do if you find yourself testing constructive away from residence.

Whereas US-bound vacationers now not need to current a adverse Covid-19 check to get residence from worldwide locations, the CDC nonetheless advises testing earlier than boarding flights again to the States and never touring in case you are sick.
“In fact, if folks have signs or publicity whereas touring, they should get examined, and in the event that they check constructive, to comply with the CDC’s isolation pointers,” Wen informed CNN Journey lately.
In case you’re involved a few travel-specific well being state of affairs not associated to Covid-19, verify right here.

Prime picture: Roatan Island, Honduras (Philippe Turpin/Photononstop RF/Getty Pictures)