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CDC is tracking how travel is impacting the spread of the coronavirus

What countries should you avoid?
Risk Assessment Level for COVID-19, CDC, September 8, 2021
Posted at 7:58 PM, Sep 13, 2021
and last updated 2021-09-13 22:58:40-04

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KERO) — The CDC is tracking how travel is impacting the spread of the coronavirus. Wednesday they added two popular tourist destinations to the list of high-risk places to visit.

According to the CDC, Jamaica and Sri Lanka are now on the travel advisories list. Both places are at Level Four, which is the highest level from the CDC indicating people have a very high risk for getting COVID-19 if they go. Plenty of other vacation destinations are rated Level 4, including the Bahamas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.

Risk Assessment Level for COVID-19:

Level 4: COVID-19 Very High - Avoid travel to these destinations. If you must travel to these destinations, make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel.

Level 3: COVID-19 High - Make sure you are fully vaccinated before traveling to these destinations. Unvaccinated travelers should avoid nonessential travel to these destinations.

Level 2: COVID-19 Moderate - Make sure you are fully vaccinated before traveling to these destinations. Unvaccinated travelers who are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 should avoid nonessential travel to these destinations.

Level 1: COVID-19 Low - Make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel to these destinations.

Level Unknown: COVID-19 Unknown - Avoid travel to these destinations. If you must travel to these destinations, make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel.

For a full list of all the countries and their risk levels, visit the CDC Risk Assessment website.

The CDC assesses COVID-19 risk based on each destination's new cases and new case trajectory. Level 4 destinations have more than 500 new cases per 100,000 people over the past 28 days or more.

Primary criteria for destinations with populations over 100,000

Primary criteria for destinations with a population of 100,000 or fewer:

Travel Requirements:

All air passengers coming to the United States, including U.S. citizens, are required to have a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before they board a flight to the United States. See the Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

Wearing a mask over your nose and mouth is required on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States and while indoors at U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations. Travelers are not required to wear a mask in outdoor areas of a conveyance (like on open deck areas of a ferry or the uncovered top deck of a bus). CDC recommends that travelers who are not fully vaccinated continue to wear a mask and maintain physical distance when traveling.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)