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CDC adds two popular islands to 'very high' covid-19 travel risk list

2021-09-08T10:26:35.241Z


Two tropical islands half a world away but popular with tourists, Jamaica, in the Caribbean, and Sri Lanka, in South Asia, are now among high-risk destinations for travelers.


A man crossing a deserted street during a national lockdown imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo on Aug. 21.

Photo by Ishara S. Kodikara.

(CNN) -

Two tropical islands half a world away but popular with tourists, Jamaica, in the Caribbean, and Sri Lanka, in South Asia, are now among high-risk destinations for travelers.

This according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) list of travel advisories, which was updated on Tuesday.

It also joins the bulging high-risk list amid a global wave of cases from the delta variant, the isolated nation of Brunei on the island of Borneo.

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.

How the CDC Classifies Countries

An aerial view of Kingston, Jamaica.

The popular Caribbean island has recently been hit by a surge in covid-19 cases.

Valery Sharifulin / TASS / Getty Images

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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Jamaica's covid-19 vaccination campaign has had low numbers so far, with just 19 doses administered per 100 people as of Tuesday.

It has been in a series of curfews since late August with "no-movement" days in hopes of slowing the spread of the virus.

Sri Lanka has seen an increase in cases recently despite having one of the strongest vaccination campaigns in Asia, with 102 doses administered per 100 people as of Tuesday.

By comparison, its much larger neighbor, India, has only administered 49 doses for every 100 people.

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Other popular destinations on level 4

A view of the Peloponnese in Greece, which is at the CDC's highest risk level.

Suzanne Plunkett / CNN

Some of the world's most-visited vacation spots rank on the CDC's Tier 4 list.

That includes a covid-ravaged Brazil, which has held a place there for months.

Other popular nations that are currently considered higher risk include:

  • The Bahamas

  • Costa Rica

  • France

  • Greece

  • Iceland

  • Ireland

  • Malaysia

  • Portugal

  • South Africa

  • Spain

  • Thailand

  • Turkey

  • United Kingdom

You can click here to see all the countries in Level 4, plus the other three levels as well.

  • Americans must show a vaccination certificate to enter Spain

Level 3: High risk

Also Tuesday, 10 countries were recently assigned to the CDC's "Level 3: Covid-19 High" category.

There is the small Caribbean resort island of Anguilla, popular with luxury travel.

It had been in "Level 1: Low" and had maintained strict protocols on the arrival of tourists during the pandemic.

Visitors must be fully vaccinated to enter and still need to be tested for covid-19 and quarantined.

The other places that went up to level 3 on Tuesday were:

  • Antigua and Barbuda (from level 2)

  • Benin (from level 1)

  • Ghana (up to level 2)

  • Granada (from level 1)

  • Turks and Caicos Islands (from level 2)

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A view of a canal in Amsterdam on August 19.

The Netherlands moved to CDC Level 3 on Tuesday, an improvement over its previous location at Level 4. Oscar Gonzalez / NurPhoto / Getty Images

A move to Level 3 was actually good news and a sign of progress for the United Arab Emirates, which had been at Level 4. Other nations that went from Level 4 to Level 3 were:

  • Guinea-Bissau

  • malt

  • Netherlands

Are you not vaccinated?

Do not go

In its broader travel guide, the CDC has recommended avoiding all international travel until you are fully vaccinated.

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"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.

Latin American countries at Level 4

  • Argentina

  • Brazil

  • Colombia

  • Costa Rica

  • Cuba

  • Haiti

  • Panama

  • Puerto Rico

Latin American countries at Level 3

  • Bolivia

  • chili

  • Dominican Republic

  • Ecuador

  • The Savior

  • Guatemala

  • Honduras

  • Mexico

  • Paraguay

  • Peru

  • Uruguay

CNN's Kristen Rogers and Marnie Hunter contributed to this report.

CDC

Source: cnnespanol

All news articles on 2021-09-08

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