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CDC Adds 6 More Countries To High Risk List Amid New Covid Wave

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While it may have seemed like the darker days of Covid were behind us, the silent threat remains very much real, as several countries battle a new potentially disruptive wave. The United States' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shortened to CDC, is keeping track of the developments, and has now added a further 6 countries to its Level 3 ‘High Risk' list.

People Wearing Face Masks In Warsaw, Poland

Effectively, the list comprises destinations where the average Covid case count exceeds 100 per 100,000 population, signalling the virus is in active circulation and infection/complication risks are higher. As part of the new Level 3 batch, we have:

  • El Salvador
  • Honduras
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Poland
  • Fiji
  • Bangladesh

The unlucky six are now part of a collective of 121 ‘risky' nations:

Main Square In Copa, Honduras

Covid Is Making A Comeback Now That The Cold Is Approaching

After a summer of few Covid updates, other than the odd country removing entry requirements, a new Omicron offshoot called BA.5 is leaving a trail of disaster behind it. Particularly among overly conservative countries, that have grown wary of sharp Covid upticks, restrictions that had been dropped in the lead up to summer are now returning.

Young Male Rollerblading In Barcelona, Spain While Wearing A Face Mask During Covid Pandemic

In South Korea, tourists are again subject to on-arrival testing and subsequent isolation until a negative result is issued, making the Asian hub the first major destination to respond this fiercely to the new wave. Additionally, the overly cautious Cyprus and Qatar have reinstated mask mandates they had scrapped only a few weeks prior.

Over in North America, the situation isn't much better, as Canada has not only extended its strict border regime, but resumed random testing at airports. Like virtually everywhere else, cases are again rising in Canada, seriously threatening the tourism industry's future. After all, the country is known to be super strict when it comes to pandemic management, and new waves could delay its full reopening indefinitely.

Young Male Traveler Arriving To Toronto Pearson International Airport With An Air Canda Sign Blurred In The Background, Toronto, Canada

The United States has not completely abandoned its Covid protocols either. Despite lifting the much-criticized inbound testing regime for returning Americans, the country continues to require a valid vaccination certificate of foreigners, and viral trends remain markedly important for the CDC's assessment of what makes a country safe, or unsafe for travel.

Earlier this week, the health body included a number of popular vacation hotspots, including Colombia and Paraguay, on its Level 3 listing. To be honest, we weren't expecting any other countries to lose their ‘safe' statuses this soon, but surprisingly, more demotions are due. Should the CDC continue moving at this speed, there won't be many Level 1 or Level 2 countries left.

Couple Of Young Travelers Looking Sad At The Airport, Travel Chaos Concept

6 More Countries Are Downgraded To Level 3 Status

This time, it's Central America‘s rising stars El Salvador and Honduras, Europe's incredibly underrated Bosnia and Herzegovina and Poland, the paradise archipelago of Fiji, and the South Asian country of Bangladesh getting the downgrade. In all of these regions, cases have hit an average higher than 100 per 100,000 population, earning them a Level 3 stamp.

When traveling to the aforementioned six nations, Americans are advised to:

Panoramic View Of Sarajevo, Capital City Of Bosnia And Herzegovina, Balkan Peninsula, Southeastern Europe
  • Get vaccinated, even if their country of destination does not require a Covid certificate as proof of entry
  • Ensure their vaccination cards are updated with all the required booster doses
  • When suffering from low immunity, check with their private clinician whether their upcoming trip should be going ahead, taking into account the volatile scenario
  • Wear face masks in all indoor spaces to prevent Covid infection and protect others, including inside planes and public transport
  • When unvaccinated, avoid travel to Level 3 destinations due to the higher risk of developing a more serious course of Covid

They are now only one slot below Level 4, or the Special Circumstances list, reserved for nations where new dangerous variants have been identified and/or the epidemiological scenario is dire. As we have reported previously, cases tripled in Europe in the previous six weeks, proving Covid is as unpredictable as it once was, despite containment efforts.

Young Male Traveler Waiting At The Airport As He Lies On The Floor Resting His Head On His Luggage, Travel Chaos Concept

Are CDC Travel Health Warnings Still Useful?

Despite the CDC's ruling, most of the affected countries have little to no Covid regulations in place. The latter applies to Poland, where pandemic-related curbs ceased applying as soon as March. Although it is posting higher infection numbers compared to earlier weeks, it has not changed its lax approach yet (unlike fellow EU member Cyprus).

Historical Port City Of Gdansk, Poland

Demand is high, too. Judging by the current air traffic and the generalized chaos observed in a majority of airports, that could last up to another year, Covid is no longer a primary concern for travelers. However, as an official health entity, the CDC list should still be taken into consideration. In the very least, they are an indication of potential travel curbs to come.

How, exactly? Well, now that they are classed as ‘High Risk' destinations and Covid is bound to spread much quicker in the colder fall and winter months, both Germany and Ireland are mulling over re-introducing face masks. In sum, these health warnings are non-binding, but they help us predict which countries might clamp down on tourism.

Other popular destinations in Level 3 include:

  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Norway
  • Portugal
  • Spain
  • The United Kingdom

Read More:

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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com

Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.


Tom P.

Sunday 31st of July 2022

Unbelievable. Or rather, quite believable indeed. Nothing should surprise anyone with even a semi-functional cerebral cortex, beyond March 2020 and the onset of the Covid Apocalypse. By now, it is very clear that the vast majority of people all around the world, prefer a neo-communist nanny-state approach to all facets of their lives. We are living in very dark times. Travel and see our beautiful world, now that we still can! Turn off (or at least place limits) on all sources of media if possible. Get back to nature. Speak out for freedom. Live life. Don't let evil win.

John

Friday 29th of July 2022

Can we stop the fear mongering please? I know that we're still not completely out of the woods with respect to putting this scam behind us, but let's not make unsubstantiated claims about a "return of restrictions" even if 4 countries have resumed certain restrictions, that in all 4 cases were only eased about a month earlier.

Japan is actually easing some restrictions, despite record case numbers and Australian states have resisted calls to re-instate some mask mandates, while the situation is fairly similar over in the USA.

I think people who want or need to travel, should remain flexible, but if they want to travel, they should go ahead if they can for travel falling within the next 2 months that is completed by early to mid October. After that, I'd take a "wait and see" approach, though I can't imagine airlines that have scheduled new or resumed pre-Covid flights starting between September to December to suspend them again and us returning to the state of play between Q2 2020 and the end of 2021.

Anything is possible, but at this point I doubt it. Let's remain optimistic and not succumb to fear mongerers either from the mainstream or alternative media. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

Leon

Friday 29th of July 2022

Fake tests which are not designed to detect the virus!!! Enough is enough

Atlas

Friday 29th of July 2022

"Particularly among overly conservative countries"? Oh really? So in other words, if you don't surrender your principles and your life to the elite ruling class and the liberal world order, you are going to die from covid. Ok.

Dondonsurplage

Thursday 28th of July 2022

Nothing the CDC has said or done pertaining to Covid has made any difference whatsoever. If you are elderly, obese or have a pre-existing medical condition, be careful. Otherwise have fun and enjoy life.