CDC: British Virgin Islands at ‘excessive’ journey danger for Covid-19
(CNN) — The US Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention has added one vacation spot — a relaxed Caribbean playground — to its “excessive” class for Covid-19 danger.
The British Virgin Islands moved as much as Stage 3 on Monday; it beforehand had been at Stage 2.
The islands are identified for the well-known Virgin Gorda Baths (a bay dotted with large granite boulders); water sports activities akin to diving and crusing; and a tempo that’s extra informal than a few of the Caribbean’s sizzling spots.
General, this week’s CDC journey danger replace noticed little in the way in which of the dramatic shifts in standing that characterised this previous winter and early spring throughout the authentic Omicron variant surge.
The CDC not too long ago overhauled its scores system for assessing Covid-19 danger for vacationers.
The Stage 3 “excessive” danger class is now the highest rung by way of danger degree. Stage 2 is taken into account “reasonable” danger, and Stage 1 is “low” danger.
Stage 4, beforehand the best danger class, is now reserved just for particular circumstances, akin to extraordinarily excessive case counts, emergence of a brand new variant of concern or well being care infrastructure collapse. Beneath the brand new system, no locations have been positioned at Stage 4 up to now.
Stage 3
Amsterdam is blessed with city biking and canals, however the Netherlands continues to be ranked “excessive” danger for Covid-19.
FRANCOIS WALSCHAERTS/AFP through Getty Photos
Within the CDC’s new system, the “Stage 3: Covid-19 Excessive” class applies to nations which have had greater than 100 instances per 100,000 residents prior to now 28 days.
A lot of Europe continues to be lodged there with the summer season journey season getting ever nearer. As of Could 9, some in style European locations remained at Stage 3:
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Eire
• Italy
• The Netherlands
• Portugal
• Spain
• United Kingdom
It is not simply European favorites that discover themselves at Stage 3. Different in style journey spots world wide nonetheless ranked on the excessive danger degree:
• Brazil
• Canada
• Costa Rica
• Malaysia
• South Korea
• Thailand
There are nearly 110 locations at Stage 3 this week. Stage 3 areas now account for practically half of the roughly 235 locations monitored by the CDC.
Stage 2
The Temple of Hercules on the Amman Citadel. Jordan was moved to “reasonable” danger by the CDC.
Maurizio De Mattei/Adobe Inventory
Locations carrying the “Stage 2: Covid-19 Reasonable” designation reported 50 to 100 Covid-19 instances per 100,000 residents prior to now 28 days. Seven locations — unfold throughout the planet — have been moved to this degree on Monday:
• The Bahamas
• Fiji
• Jordan
• Mongolia
• Namibia
• Paraguay
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines
The transfer to Stage 2 was a step again for the Bahamas, Namibia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which had been at Stage 1.
However the transfer was excellent news for tourism-dependent Fiji, together with Jordan and Mongolia, which had been at Stage 3. Paraguay was beforehand “unknown.” Nearly 25 locations are actually at Stage 2.
Stage 1
The Plaza Murillo and Bolivian Palace of Authorities in La Paz. Bolivia grew to become a Stage 1 vacation spot on Monday.
diegograndi/Adobe Inventory
To be in “Stage 1: Covid-19 Low,” a vacation spot should have had 49 or fewer new instances per 100,000 residents over the previous 28 days. Two landlocked locations have been added to the class on Could 9:
• Bolivia
• Kosovo
South America’s Bolivia had been at Stage 2, whereas Kosovo, a part of Europe’s Balkans, dropped all the way in which from Stage 3, making it the largest mover of the week.
This degree is dominated by locations in Africa, together with Ghana, Kenya and Rwanda. Stage 1 had greater than 50 entries whole this week.
Unknown
Lastly, there are locations for which the CDC has an “unknown” danger due to a lack of awareness. Often, however not all the time, these are small, distant locations or locations with ongoing warfare or unrest. Just one addition was made on Monday to this class: Angola.
The CDC advises towards journey to those locations exactly as a result of the dangers are unknown. Additionally attracting their fair proportion of holiday makers on this class are the Azores, Cambodia and Tanzania.
A medical professional weighs in on danger ranges
Transmission charges are simply “one guidepost” for vacationers’ private danger calculations, based on CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen.
We have moved into “a section within the pandemic the place folks must make their very own selections primarily based on their medical circumstances in addition to their danger tolerance with regards to contracting Covid-19,” stated Wen, who’s an emergency doctor and professor of well being coverage and administration on the George Washington College Milken Institute College of Public Well being.
There are different elements to weigh along with transmission charges, based on Wen.
“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 quite a lot of sights and go to indoor bars? That is very completely 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 completely different. These are very completely different ranges of danger.”
Vaccination is probably the most important security issue for journey, since unvaccinated vacationers usually tend to develop into unwell and transmit Covid-19 to others, Wen stated.
And it is also vital to think about what you’ll do if you find yourself testing optimistic away from house. The place will you keep and the way straightforward will or not it’s to get a check to return house?
High picture: BVI, now at Stage 3, has loads of seashore escapes. (Matt/Adobe Inventory).