Barbados remains at level 4, the highest risk travel category

There is good news for Jamaica today as the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has moved the country’s travel risk designation one place down from level 4 to level 3.

In its latest list of ‘very high’ risk travel destinations, the CDC has taken Jamaica out of the level 4 category, which is categorised as those countries that have had more than 500 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days, according to CDC criteria.

The Level-3 category, which applies to destinations that have had between 100 and 500 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days. Being placed in Level 3 was a sign of progress in Fiji and Jamaica, which both moved down from Level 4.

FOUR UPDATES TO LEVEL-3 CATEGORY

There were four updates in this category this week – Fiji, Jamaica, Laos and Poland.

For Poland, the move to Level 3 was a sign of worsening conditions.

The eastern European nation had been at Level 2 (“moderate” risk). Laos was previously listed in the CDC’s “unknown” category due to a lack of information.

The CDC added Russia to its list of “very high” risk travel destinations this week. People should avoid traveling to locations designated with a “Level 4” notice, the CDC recommends.

Anyone who must travel should be fully vaccinated first, the agency advises. Yesterday, Russia, the world’s largest country by area (covering more than 17 million square kilometres or 6.6 million square miles), moved up to Level 4, the agency’s highest risk category.

Russia was previously listed as Level 3, or “high” risk for COVID-19. Belgium was also among a handful of destinations added to the Level-4 category. A total of four destinations moved to Level 4 yesterday.

They are:

• Belgium
• Burkina Faso
• Russia
• Slovakia

Many popular international vacation spots remained lodged at this highest level of alert, evidence of COVID-19’s continuing grip. There were nearly 80 countries at Level 4 as of November 1.

The current list of Level-4 destinations includes:

• Austria
• Barbados
• Botswana
• Croatia
• Greece
• Ireland
• Maldives
• Switzerland
• Thailand
• Turkey
• United Kingdom

In the case of the UK, it’s been lodged at Level 4 since July 19. Greece has been there since August 2. Thailand has been there since August 9.