(Erika Santelices/AFP via Getty Images)" loading="" class="lazyload size-article_feature" data-sizes="auto" data-src="" src="https://www.mercurynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/hypatia-h_5550beb143331d5eb2c2a50e6e1dbfcb-h_0e24960e8aec22e27f6aa1c5dc56999a.jpg?w=525"/>
Vacationers take pleasure in a seaside in Punta Cana within the Dominican Republic, on January 7, 2022.
(Erika Santelices/AFP through Getty Pictures)
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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 complete, the CDC moved 15 locations to Degree 4, or “very excessive” threat, displaying the persevering with grip the Omicron variant of the coronavirus has on the world proper now. Final week, 22 locations have 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 up 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 common Caribbean locations have been additionally already at Degree 4. They embody 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 nicely.
Different notable journey scorching spots added to Degree 4 this week that the CDC suggests vacationers keep away from: Peru, house to Machu Picchu, and the United Arab Emirates, the place Dubai is positioned.
Final week, 14 of the 15 locations have been on Degree 3, which is taken into account “excessive” threat for Covid-19.
Niger, a landlocked nation in West Africa greatest identified for its historic caravan cities, had been at Degree 1, thought-about “low” threat.
The Degree 4 listing now incorporates nearly 120 locations. In early January, there have been round 80 locations, additional demonstrating the attain of the Omicron variant.
You'll be able to view the CDC’s threat ranges for international locations on its journey suggestions web page.
The CDC doesn't embody the USA in its listing of advisories, nevertheless it was color-coded at Degree 4 on January 24 on the company’s map of journey threat ranges.
In its broader journey steerage, the CDC has advisable avoiding all worldwide journey till you're absolutely vaccinated.
Scenario in Europe
Whereas extra of the Caribbean is transferring into Degree 4 this week, nearly all of Europe has remained firmly lodged there for weeks or months now. These locations embody among 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 Degree 3 class — which applies to locations which have had between 100 and 500 circumstances per 100,000 residents up 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 Average” designation have seen 50 to 99 Covid-19 circumstances per 100,000 residents up to now 28 days. That degree noticed solely two new additions on Monday.
They have 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 should have fewer than 50 new circumstances per 100,000 residents over the previous 28 days. No new additions have been made on Monday.
China, which is internet hosting the Winter Olympic Video games in February, has been on Degree 1 since Might 2021. It’s considered one 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 expertise. Often, 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 common 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
The CDC consists of cruise ships on its locations listing.
On December 30, the CDC elevated the danger for cruise ship journey to Degree 4 and stated it needs to be averted, no matter vaccination standing. It remained at Degree 4 within the latest replace.
In the meantime, the CDC’s Covid-19 steerage has develop into elective for a lot of cruise ships.
The CDC’s prolonged conditional crusing order expired just lately, and the company has transitioned to a voluntary program for foreign-flagged cruise ships working in US waters.
Concerns for journey
Transmission charges are vital to contemplate when making journey choices, however there are different components to weigh as nicely, 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 just’re going after which the third is what are you planning on doing when you’re there.
“Are you planning to go to plenty of sights and go to indoor bars? That’s very completely different from you’re going someplace the place you’re planning to lie on the seaside all day and never work together with anybody else. That’s very completely different. These are very completely different ranges of threat.”
Vaccination is essentially the most important security issue for journey since unvaccinated vacationers usually tend to develop into in poor health and transmit Covid-19 to others, Wen stated.
She stated individuals needs to be carrying 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’s additionally vital to contemplate what you'd do if you find yourself testing optimistic away from house, Wen stated. The place will you keep and the way straightforward will or not it's to get a take a look at to return house?
The-CNN-Wire
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