CDC provides 5 extra Caribbean island locations to ‘very excessive’ threat checklist

(CNN) — The US Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention moved 5 Caribbean island locations into its highest-risk journey class for Covid-19 on Monday.

In whole, the CDC moved 15 locations to Degree 4, or “very excessive” threat, exhibiting the persevering with grip the Omicron variant of the coronavirus has on the world proper now. Final week, 22 locations had been added to Degree 4.

The CDC locations a vacation spot at Degree 4 when greater than 500 circumstances per 100,000 residents are registered prior to now 28 days. The CDC advises vacationers to keep away from journey to Degree 4 nations.

The 15 locations added this week are:

• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• Dominican Republic
• Fiji
• Guadeloupe
• Jamaica
• Kuwait
• Mongolia
• Niger
• Peru
• Romania
• Saint Barthélemy
• Saint Martin
• Tunisia
• United Arab Emirates

The Caribbean island locations — the Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin — represented one third of the brand new entries this week. Haiti, which is positioned on the island of Hispaniola alongside the Dominican Republic, was already at Degree 4. And French Saint Martin additionally shares an island with Dutch Sint Maarten, which was already at Degree 4.

Different in style Caribbean locations had been additionally already at Degree 4. They embrace Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, the British Virgin Islands, Curaçao and Turks and Caicos, amongst others.

Two mainland nations with Caribbean coastlines — Costa Rica in Central America and Colombia in South America — are on Degree 4 as effectively.

The Incan web site of Machu Picchu is Peru’s most well-known vacationer spot. On Monday, Peru moved into the CDC’s highest-risk degree for Covid-19.

Ernesto Benavides/AFP by way of Getty Photos

Different notable journey sizzling spots added to Degree 4 this week that the CDC suggests vacationers keep away from: Peru, dwelling to Machu Picchu, and the United Arab Emirates, the place Dubai is positioned.

Final week, 14 of the 15 locations had been on Degree 3, which is taken into account “excessive” threat for Covid-19.

Niger, a landlocked nation in West Africa finest identified for its historical caravan cities, had been at Degree 1, thought-about “low” threat.

State of affairs in Europe

Whereas extra of the Caribbean is shifting into Degree 4 this week, nearly all of Europe has remained firmly lodged there for weeks or months now. These locations embrace a number of the continent’s greatest names.

• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Iceland
• Eire
• Italy
• Spain
• United Kingdom

Romania is the one new European addition to Degree 4 this week.

Degree 3 additions

The Taj Mahal mausoleum is the long-lasting image of India, which has had large swings with Covid-19. India’s Omicron circumstances are rising, and it is moved as much as the CDC’s Degree 3.

Ludovic Marin/AFP by way of Getty Photos

The Degree 3 class — which applies to locations which have had between 100 and 500 circumstances per 100,000 residents prior to now 28 days — noticed 10 additions on Monday:

• Djibouti
• Equatorial Guinea
• Guatemala
• India
• Japan
• Kosovo
• Kyrgyzstan
• Mali
• Republic of the Congo
• Senegal

4 of the locations — Equatorial Guinea in Central Africa; Japan; Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia; and Senegal in West Africa — had been on the “low” threat Degree 1.

The remaining six had been at Degree 2.

Ranges 2, 1 and unknown

Locations carrying the “Degree 2: Covid-19 Reasonable” designation have seen 50 to 99 Covid-19 circumstances per 100,000 residents prior to now 28 days. That degree noticed solely two new additions on Monday.

They had been Bangladesh, which had been at Degree 1, and tiny sultanate of Brunei, which had been “unknown” final week.

To be in “Degree 1: Covid-19 Low,” a vacation spot will need to have fewer than 50 new circumstances per 100,000 residents over the previous 28 days. No new additions had been made on Monday.

China, which is internet hosting the Winter Olympic Video games in February, has been on Degree 1 since Could 2021. It is one in every of solely a dozen locations at the moment at Degree 1.

Lastly, there are locations for which the CDC has an “unknown” threat due to a lack of knowledge. Normally, however not all the time, these are small, distant locations or locations with ongoing warfare or unrest. There have been no additions this week.

Among the many in style locations in “unknown” threat are Cambodia, French Polynesia and Tanzania. The CDC advises in opposition to journey to those locations exactly as a result of the dangers are unknown.

Cruising

A docked Norwegian Gem cruise ship is seen on the Port of Miami in 2021.

Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Photos

On December 30, the CDC elevated the chance for cruise ship journey to Degree 4 and stated it must be prevented, no matter vaccination standing. It remained at Degree 4 within the latest replace.

Concerns for journey

Transmission charges are necessary to think about when making journey choices, however there are different elements to weigh as effectively, in accordance Dr. Leana Wen, a CNN medical analyst, emergency doctor and professor of well being coverage and administration on the George Washington College Milken Institute College of Public Well being.

“The transmission charges are one guidepost,” Wen stated. “One other is what precautions are required and adopted within the place that you are going after which the third is what are you planning on doing when you’re there.

“Are you planning to go to a whole lot of points of interest and go to indoor bars? That is very totally different from you are going someplace the place you are planning to lie on the seashore all day and never work together with anybody else. That is very totally different. These are very totally different ranges of threat.”

Vaccination is essentially the most important security issue for journey since unvaccinated vacationers usually tend to turn into ailing and transmit Covid-19 to others, Wen stated.

She stated individuals must be sporting a high-quality masks — N95, KN95 or KF94 — anytime they’re in crowded indoor settings with individuals of unknown vaccination standing.

Earlier than you journey, it is also necessary to think about what you’ll do if you find yourself testing constructive away from dwelling, Wen stated. The place will you keep and the way simple will it’s to get a take a look at to return dwelling?

Prime picture: Vacationers take pleasure in a seashore in Punta Cana within the Dominican Republic on January 7. (Picture by Erika Santelices / AFP by way of Getty Photos)