CDC Adds 3 More Destinations to “Very High” Covid Risk Category

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday warned against travel to Sri Lanka, Jamaica and Brunei because of the rising number of COVID-19 cases. All three countries have now moved into the highest Covid risk category.

The CDC says that you should void travel to Level 4 destinations. If you must travel to these destinations, make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel.

Destinations that fall into the “Level 4: COVID-19 Very High” category have more than 500 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days, according to CDC’s criteria.

The CDC also eased its ratings for the Netherlands, Malta, Guinea-Bissau and United Arab Emirates from “Level 4: Very High” to “Level 3: High,” which urges unvaccinated Americans to avoid travel to those destinations.

There are now 80 destinations in the top category. The Level 3 category applies to destinations that have had between 100 and 500 cases per 100,000 residents.

The CDC says that fully vaccinated travelers are less likely to get and spread COVID-19. However, international travel poses additional risks, and even fully vaccinated travelers might be at increased risk for getting and possibly spreading some COVID-19 variants. The COVID-19 situation, including the spread of new or concerning variants, differs from country to country. So the CDC suggests that all travelers pay close attention to the conditions at their destination before traveling.

Last Monday the United States was also removed from the European Union’s “safe list” for Covid-19. Several European countries have now added new restrictions.