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(CNN) — The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention moved three high-profile locations to its highest-risk Level 4 class for journey on Monday.
Hong Kong and New Zealand have spent a lot of the pandemic in close to isolation with comparatively few infections and had been lauded as Covid success tales. However, the Omicron variant has induced large spikes in circumstances in each locations.
Hong Kong is late in taking part in out a now-familiar scene: Morgues close to capability, hospitals overwhelmed and supermarkets stripped naked by buyers. Hong Kong has tightly restricted journey for the reason that begin of the pandemic and lately suspended many incoming worldwide flights.The spike is available in New Zealand simply as it’s starting to shift towards plans to open up its borders to pick worldwide vacationers later this 12 months. It has maintained among the strictest isolation measures on the earth throughout the pandemic.While circumstances in New Zealand have lately spiked sharply, the nation had logged solely 65 deaths over the course of the pandemic as of early March, based on Johns Hopkins University figures.
New Zealand has seen a steep rise in Covid circumstances lately. However, as of early March, the nation had logged solely 65 deaths over the course of the pandemic.
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Joining these two is Thailand, one of many crown jewels of world journey and the No. 1 Asian earner of tourism income in 2019. Thailand restarted its “Test & Go” program on February 1, which permits vaccinated worldwide vacationers from all international locations to enter with out prolonged quarantines.
The CDC locations a vacation spot at “Level 4: Covid-19 Very High” threat when greater than 500 circumstances per 100,000 residents are registered up to now 28 days.
To recap, the locations added to Level 4 on March 7 are:
• Hong Kong
• New Zealand
• Thailand
All three locations have been beforehand listed at Level 3, thought-about “excessive” threat.
Global case numbers have been declining since peaking in late January, however consultants warning that the pandemic shouldn’t be over.
CDC: Avoid Level 4 locations
London is a global tourism favourite and the most important metropolis within the United Kingdom, which has been at Level 4 since final summer time.
Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images
There are about 135 locations presently at Level 4. While the variety of locations within the “very excessive” threat class has dipped barely since topping round 140 in February, there are nonetheless extra locations within the Level 4 class than in all the opposite classes mixed.
The CDC advises avoiding journey to Level 4 international locations. CDC thresholds for journey well being notices are primarily based totally on the variety of Covid-19 circumstances in a vacation spot.
The CDC doesn’t embrace the United States in its record of advisories, but it surely was color-coded at Level 4 on March 7 on the company’s map of journey threat ranges.
Other vacationer favorites stalled on Level 4 embrace Canada, Egypt, France, Greece, Peru and Singapore. The United Kingdom has been there since July 2021.
In its broader journey steering, the CDC has beneficial avoiding all worldwide journey till you might be totally vaccinated.
Changes at Level 3
Mexico, with Bahia Principe seaside in Tulum pictured right here, moved down from Level 4 to Level 3 on Monday.
Rodrigo Arangua/AFP through Getty Images
Tourists in search of some information that is trending in a superb route will discover it on this degree.
The Level 3 “excessive” threat class — which applies to locations which have had between 100 and 500 circumstances per 100,000 residents up to now 28 days — noticed six additions from varied spots across the globe on Monday. They have been:
• Anguilla
• Cape Verde
• Fiji
• Mexico
• Philippines
• United Arab Emirates
All six had beforehand been at Level 4. Mexico has stayed open to vacationers all through the pandemic. It does not have any vaccination or testing necessities to enter.
Levels 2, 1 and unknown
On Monday, there was excellent news for people who find themselves dreaming of a visit to Africa.
Destinations carrying the “Level 2: Covid-19 Moderate” designation have seen 50 to 99 Covid-19 circumstances per 100,000 residents up to now 28 days. Nine locations representing all sections of the continent moved to Level 2 on March 7:
• Angola
• Djibouti
• Equatorial Guinea
• Ethiopia
• The Gambia
• Mauritania
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• Senegal
Last week, all of those locations have been at Level 3.
Africa continued to be a vivid spot with the Level 1 class as effectively, together with the favored safari and cultural favourite Kenya.
To be in “Level 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. Eight locations moved to Level 1 on Monday:
• Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
• Kenya
• Lesotho
• Niger
• Rwanda
• Republic of Congo
• Togo
• Uganda
The solely locations now listed at Level 1 outdoors of Africa are China and Taiwan.
Finally, there are locations for which the CDC has an “unknown” threat due to a ignorance. Usually, however not at all times, these are small, distant locations or locations with ongoing warfare or unrest. The CDC made no new additions to the class on Monday.
Tanzania, Cambodia and Macau are among the many more-visited places presently listed within the unknown class. The CDC advises towards journey to those locations exactly as a result of the dangers are unknown.
A medical professional weighs in on threat ranges
Transmission charges are “one guidepost” for vacationers’ private threat calculations, based on CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen.
“We are coming into a part within the pandemic the place folks must make their very own selections primarily based on their medical circumstances in addition to their threat tolerance in terms of contracting Covid-19,” Wen mentioned in mid-February.
“You ought to interpret Level 4 to imply this can be a place with a whole lot of neighborhood transmission of Covid-19. So should you go, there’s a larger likelihood that you can contract the COVID-19 coronavirus,” mentioned Wen, who’s an emergency doctor and professor of well being coverage and administration on the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.
Some folks will resolve the danger is just too excessive for them, Wen mentioned. “Other folks will say, ‘Because I’m vaccinated and boosted, I’m keen to tackle that threat.’
“So this actually must be a private determination that folks weigh understanding that proper now the CDC is classifying the totally different ranges primarily based on neighborhood transmission charges, and mainly solely that,” Wen mentioned. “They’re not making an allowance for particular person circumstances.”
Top picture: An aerial view reveals buildings from the Mid-Levels space of Hong Kong on May 25, 2021. (Peter Parks/AFP through Getty Images)