Much Of Europe Remains At The CDCs Highest Travel Risk As Other Regions Improve

(CNN) - For the third consecutive week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not included any new targets in its Level 4 high-risk category.

In fact, the seven travel destinations in Asia: Caribbean were placed in the lowest risk category for travel during the CDC epidemic, which is Level 1. In the Philippines, St Kitts and New Zealand earned that enviable rating on Monday.

But much of Europe, including its popular tourist destinations, remained at Level 4.

Take the UK as an example. It was at Level 4 on 19 July 2021. This puts England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland at a 'very high' risk for Covid-19.

The CDC means 4 risk levels if more than 500 cases per 100,000 population have been reported in the last 28 days.

CDC. Avoid level 4 recommendations

It's not just Britain. Many well-known European companies remain on the 4th level when winter ends and the spring tourist season begins. As of April 11, this list includes the following locations:

• France • Germany • Greece • Ireland • Italy • Malta • Netherlands • Portugal • Spain

But it is not just in Europe that the most visited travel destinations are still closed at level 4.

In Asia, Hong Kong, South Korea and Thailand are at the 4th level. In South America, Brazil and Chile still fall into the highest risk category. The same goes for the lush Central American holidays in Costa Rica. The other favorites expecting a higher rating from the CDC are Aruba, Australia-Bermuda.

However, the overall trend in risk levels has slowed for most of the world in recent weeks, especially in Africa where risk points have fallen.

By the end of February, the number of Level 4 points reached 140, indicating the rapid spread of the wide Omicron range. On April 11, however, that number dropped to 90 directions. This is about half of the 235 seats controlled by the CDC.

The CDC recommends that travel to Level 4 countries be avoided. CDC Traffic Health Alert thresholds are primarily based on the number of Covid-19 cases at their destination.

The CDC does not include the United States on its list of recommendations, but as of April 11, it is color-coded Level 3 on the agency's travel risk map.

The Travel Advice Page allows you to see the CDC risk levels for any travel destination around the world.

In its more comprehensive guide, the CDC advises you to avoid all international travel until you are fully vaccinated.

Some changes in level 3

The "High Level 3" risk class, which refers to 100 to 500 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the past 28 days, was only doubled on Monday. They are.

• Egypt • San Martino

Both were previously at level 4.

For people who want to travel to Europe but want to avoid the places with the highest risk, here are just a few options: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina և Kosovo, the entire Balkan Peninsula or Armenia in the Caucasus.

Level 2:

Directions marked 'Level 2. Moderate Covid-19' recorded 50 to 99 cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 population over the past 28 days.

The only new entry level 2 on April 11 is Guyana, a small country in northern South America that welcomes a small number of foreign visitors. Guyana was on the 3rd level.

level 1

As a sign of hope from travelers, Level 1 has seen the most marches.

Level 1. To reach low Covid-19, the target should be less than 50 new cases per 100,000 population in the last 28 days. On Monday, seven places were moved to the 1st level.

Bangladesh • Haiti • Myanmar • Philippines • Saint Kitts and Nevis • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines • Saudi Arabia

The largest shifts were in Haiti, Myanmar and Saudi Arabia, which were at the 4th level. St. Vincent and the Grenadines were on the 3rd level and the rest on the 2nd level.

Most first-level destinations are in Africa, including Ghana, Kenya, Morocco and Senegal.

Unknown:

Finally, there are areas for which the CDC runs an "unknown" risk due to lack of information. Usually, but not always, these are small and remote places, or places of constant war or unrest. The CDC made three additions to the category on Monday.

• Burkina Faso • Faroe Islands • Madagascar

Burkina Faso was on the 1st level and the other two on the 4th level.

The Azores, Cambodia, Macau and Tanzania are some of the places currently listed in the Unknown category. The CDC recommends traveling to these places precisely because the risks are unknown.

The medical expert assesses the level of risk

According to CNN's medical analyst dr. Liana Wen, the transfer speed is a "measure" for calculating the personal risk of travelers.

"We are entering an epidemic phase where people have to make their own decisions based on their medical circumstances and risk tolerance when it comes to Covid-19 infection," Wen said in mid-February.

"Level 4 must be interpreted as a sign that it is a very Covid-19 transfer point in the community. So when you leave, you are more likely to get the coronavirus, ”says Wen, an emergency room physician and professor of health policy management at George Washington University's Milken Institute School of Public Health.

According to Wen, some people will decide that the risk is too great for them. "Others will say I am willing to take that risk as I am vaccinated and revived.

"So it really has to be a personal choice that people consider and realize that the CDC is currently arranging different levels based on community transfer rates, and basically that," Wen said. "Individual circumstances are not taken into account."

Other travel considerations

There are other factors to consider besides transmission speed, says Wen.

"Transmission speed is the standard," said Wen. "The other one is what precautions are taken with 'back' and where you are going, and the third is what you want to do when you get there.

"Are you planning to visit a lot of attractions, go to closed bars? It's very different from where you plan to spend all day on the beach without communicating with anyone else. It's completely different." are many different risk levels. "

Vaccination is the most important safety factor for travel, Wen said, as unvaccinated travelers are more likely to become infected and spread COVID-19 to others.

"People should wear a quality mask, N95, KN95 or KF94, when they are in overcrowded places with people with unknown vaccination status," he said.

And it's important to think about what you would do if you tested positive outside the home. Where are you going to live How easy will it be to take the home test?

The-CNN-Wire և և © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc. WarnerMedia Companies: All Rights Reserved.

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