CDC updates travel advisories list adding 7 more travel destinations

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has added seven more travel destinations under “level 4, highest-risk destinations” for travelers. Puerto Rico, Guam, Azerbaijan, and Switzerland are now among them.

CDC recommended people to avoid travel to locations designated with “COVID-19 Very High”, the “level 4” category.

The CDC regularly updates the travel advisories list based on the cases.

The CDC uses COVID-19 data reported by the World Health Organization and other official sources to make determinations about Travel Health Notice (THN) levels, the CDC says. If a destination does not provide data, their THN level is designated as “unknown” and travelers are advised to follow THN Level 4 recommendations.

On Monday, below seven travel destinations have moved from “Level 3” to “Level 4”- Covid-19 high list:

Azerbaijan
Estonia
Guam
North Macedonia
Puerto Rico
Saint Lucia
Switzerland

The CDC has ranked travel destination notices ranges from Level 1 (“low”) to Level 4 (“very high”).

According to CDC criteria, destinations have had more than 500 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days fall under the “Covid-19 Very High” Level 4 category. Similarly, the Level 3 category destinations with the cases between 100 and 500 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days.

The 4-level system categorizes destinations, including international destinations and U.S. territories, into the following levels:

Level 4: Very high level of COVID-19
- Avoid travel to this destination.
Level 3: High level of COVID-19
- Make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel.
- Unvaccinated travelers should avoid nonessential travel to this destination.
Level 2: Moderate level of COVID-19
- Make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel.
- Unvaccinated travelers who are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 should avoid nonessential travel to this destination. If you must travel and have concerns, talk to your doctor.
Level 1: Low level of COVID-19
- Make sure you are fully vaccinated before traveling to this destination.