BASICALLY, STAY HOME: The CDC’s Do-Not-Travel List Now Encompasses More Than Half The World’s Destinations

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has moved seven more countries to its highest-risk category for travel – a list that has grown to include 134 destinations, with many added since the World Health Organization declared omicron a “variant of concern” on Nov. 26.

The CDC on Monday gave the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Oman, Libya, Japan, Israel, Cuba and Armenia a “Level 4″ warning, which means it is recommending that Americans avoid traveling there, even if vaccinated.

The CDC’s four levels – which start at “low” risk and escalate to “moderate,” “high” and “very high” – are designed to help Americans navigate travel in the pandemic as case levels continue to fluctuate. The public health agency recommends that all travelers should be fully vaccinated, regardless of their destination’s designation. For countries deemed “very high” risk, the CDC guidance is to “avoid travel.”

Countries and territories marked as “Level 4″ have an infection incidence rate of more than 500 new coronavirus cases per 100,000 people over the past 28 days (or, in places with fewer than 100,000 residents, more than 500 cases cumulatively over the past 28 days). The CDC also takes into account a country or territory’s capacity to test for the coronavirus.

CNN reports that Israel has been on the CDC’s Level 4 list since Jan. 18, but is listed as a new entry because the agency’s warning now includes guidance on Gaza and the West Bank.

A destination’s risk designation can go up if both metrics – the case count and the testing capacity – meet the criteria for a higher-risk category for two weeks, or sooner “if there is a large increase in COVID-19 cases reported,” the CDC says.

The State Department issues its own travel advisories, which factor in the CDC’s recommendations but also include other threats such as terrorism, civil unrest, crime and natural disasters.

(c) 2022, The Washington Post · Annabelle Timsit 

{Matzav.com}