These are the highest risk destinations for covid-19 1:01
(CNN) -
Puerto Rico and Switzerland are now among the highest risk destinations for travelers due to COVID-19, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's list of travel warnings. (CDC), which is updated periodically.
People should avoid traveling to places designated with the "Level 4: Covid-19 Very High" advisory, the CDC recommends.
Anyone who must travel should be fully vaccinated first, the agency cautions.
(Photo by Spencer Platt / Getty Images)
Seven destinations rose on August 30 from the list "Level 3: High Covid-19" to Level 4:
Azerbaijan
Estonia
Guam
North macedonia
Puerto Rico
St. Lucia
Switzerland
CDC's evolving list of travel advisories ranges from Level 1 ("low") to Level 4 ("very high").
Destinations that fall into the Level 4 "Very High Covid-19" category have had more than 500 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days, according to CDC criteria.
The Level 3 category is applied to destinations that have had between 100 and 500 cases per 100,000 residents in the last 28 days.
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Switzerland has had 659 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents in the past four weeks, according to the country's Federal Office of Public Health.
On August 29, almost a third of Swiss intensive care units were occupied by people with coronavirus.
In North Macedonia, just under a quarter of residents were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of August 30, while 9% were partially vaccinated.
And of the population of Saint Lucia, of around 185,000 people, 15.1% have been fully vaccinated and 4.8% partially vaccinated.
New 'Tier 3' destinations
Ten other destinations were upgraded to the "Level 3: Covid-19 high" category on Monday.
Bermuda, Canada, Germany and Moldova all moved up from Level 2. Bahrain, Indonesia, Namibia, Oman, Rwanda and Zimbabwe all fell from Level 4.
CDC's Guide to Level 3 Destinations urges unvaccinated travelers to avoid nonessential travel to those locations.
In its broader travel guide, the CDC has recommended avoiding all international travel until fully vaccinated.
"Fully vaccinated travelers are less likely to contract and spread COVID-19. However, international travel presents additional risks, and even fully vaccinated travelers may be at higher risk of contracting and possibly spreading some variants of COVID-19." the agency said.
You can see the CDC risk level for any destination on the agency's travel advice page.
Covid-19
