What the CDC’s New “Do Not Travel” Advice List Means for Travelers

Just final week, there have been 89 international locations on the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory list. At this time, there are none. So, what modified from one week to the following? Did 89 international locations out of the blue grow to be much less of a danger for vacationers? Not essentially.

As of April 18, the CDC has changed how it classifies international destinations beneath its COVID journey advisory system.

“To assist the general public perceive when the best stage of concern is most pressing, this new system will reserve Degree 4 journey well being notices for particular circumstances, resembling quickly escalating case trajectory or extraordinarily excessive case counts, emergence of a brand new variant of concern, or healthcare infrastructure collapse,” the CDC mentioned in an announcement concerning the new classifications.

Whereas now Degree 4 is deemed “Particular Circumstances/Do Not Journey,” beforehand Degree 4 merely indicated a “very excessive stage of COVID-19,” and got here with the recommendation to keep away from journey to the vacation spot. This encompassed international locations that surpassed sure thresholds for brand new counts of instances and upward case trajectories.

This new advisory system makes it simpler for vacationers to evaluate essentially the most crucial pandemic-related considerations world wide. When a large number of nations is deemed “excessive danger,” that may both deter vacationers from worldwide journey fully or can flip them off from an advisory system that paints the world in broad brushstrokes of danger.

“With this new configuration, vacationers may have a extra actionable alert for when they need to not journey to a sure vacation spot (Degree 4), no matter vaccination standing, till now we have a clearer understanding of the COVID-19 state of affairs at that vacation spot,” the CDC acknowledged.

Every week, the CDC releases its up to date journey well being notices and corresponding map, and in latest weeks the variety of international locations deemed Degree 4 or “don’t journey” had included the overwhelming majority of nations on the earth—in early February 140 international locations had been on the Degree 4 or “don’t journey” record. This week, beneath the brand new classification system, there are not any international locations with a Degree 4 designation, and there are 122 international locations and territories that fall beneath the Degree 3 or “COVID-19: Excessive” record.

Ranges 1, 2, and three, symbolize incidents of COVID-19 which might be “low,” “medium,” and “excessive,” respectively. There are additionally a number of international locations marked as “stage unkown,” that are designated in grey on the map. Understanding these designations can assist vacationers make knowledgeable choices about the place they really feel comfy touring and any extra precautions they might need to take earlier than, throughout, or after their travels. For all ranges, the CDC recommends that vacationers are updated on their COVID-19 vaccines, however doesn’t suggest avoiding journey there, which implies there may be at present nowhere on the earth the CDC deems unsafe to journey to within the context of the pandemic.

This advisory system is separate from particular person nation necessities for vacationers which might be issued by every authorities, which have had an inclination to fluctuate usually all through the pandemic as COVID instances have risen and fallen. 

The U.S. State Division makes use of an analogous four-level journey advisory system, however the State Department’s travel advisories take note of many extra security components past public well being points, together with risk of struggle, violence, and different humanitarian and pure crises.  

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