CDC adds three islands to 'high' travel risk category

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(CNN) — On Tuesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added three islands to the “high” risk category for travelers.

Anguilla, Jamaica and the Turks and Caicos Islands have been upgraded to Level 3, or “high” risk of contracting Covid-19.

The Level 3 risk category “high” is now the top tier in terms of risk level. Level 2 is considered “moderate” risk and Level 1 is considered “low” risk.

Tier 4, previously the highest risk category, is now reserved for special circumstances only, such as an extremely high number of cases, the emergence of a new option of concern, or the collapse of the healthcare infrastructure. So far, under the new system, no destination has been placed at level 4.

As a reminder, the three destinations moved into the “high” risk column on Tuesday are:

• Anguilla
• Jamaica
• Turks and Caicos

All three destinations have moved from the second level.

The Tier 3: High Covid-19 category now applies to countries with more than 100 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 28 days.

As of May 31, there were about 110 destinations at level 3. Tier 3 locations now account for just under half of the approximately 235 locations tracked by the CDC.

Most of the Caribbean is currently at Tier 3, with a few exceptions including Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Saint Kitts and Nevis, which moved to Tier 2 on Tuesday.

Level 3

Many other popular tourist destinations are also on level 3.

With the start of the summer tourist season, much of Europe has stubbornly stuck there. As of May 31, the following popular European destinations remained at level 3:

• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Ireland
• Italy
• Netherlands
• Portugal
• Spain
• United Kingdom

It’s not just the European favorites that make it to level 3. Numerous well-known tourist destinations around the world are in the high-risk category, including the following:

• Brazil
• Canada
• Costa Rica
• Malaysia
• South Korea
• Thailand

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you update your Covid-19 vaccines before traveling to a Tier 3 destination. Being “up-to-date” means that you have received not only complete initial immunizations, but also any booster immunizations, to which you are entitled.

Buildings in Kuwait are lit up in the colors of the national flag on February 20, 2021. Now Kuwait

Kuwaiti buildings are lit up in the colors of the national flag on February 20, 2021. Kuwait is now at “moderate” risk of contracting Covid-19.

Yasser Al Zayyat/AFP via Getty Images

Level 2

Destinations labeled “Level 2: Moderate Covid-19” have reported 50-100 cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 28 days. Eight seats were moved to this level on Tuesday:

• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Cuba
• Dominican Republic
• Guyana
• Moldova
• Poland
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Tunisia

Dominican Republic, Guyana and Saint Kitts and Nevis have risen from…