CDC moves four destinations into its 'high-risk' category for travel

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) raised four destinations to its Level 3 risk category this week due to the increasing number of Covid-19 infections.

Lebanon, Tunisia, Peru, and Bolivia are joining over 100 other countries that the CDC considers “high-risk” for travel. 

The CDC’s Level 3 risk category, currently the highest classification, includes destinations with the highest numbers of Covid-19 cases worldwide, usually more than 100 cases per 100,000 residents. The level of risk is primarily determined by 28-day case counts. 

Last week, all four countries were listed as Level 2 risk or “moderate.” However, the new travel advisory urges travelers who are not up to date with their Covid-19 vaccinations to avoid traveling to those destinations. 

On July 11, there were 115 destinations in the Level 3 category, including several destinations in Europe, South America, and Asia. All of the locations in this category currently account for 50% of the places monitored by the CDC. 

The CDC has not placed any country in its Level 4 category since April, after the agency removed more than 90 countries from the list. According to a recent redefinition of the CDC's risk categories, the Level 4 risk category can only be assigned to country’s whose healthcare infrastructure is collapsing or are experiencing a completely new coronavirus variant. 

“We believe the updated framework will help U.S. citizens make better informed decisions about the safety of international travel,” a State Department spokesperson said at the time. 

Additionally, on Monday, the U.S. State Department also classified Peru and Lebanon as Level 3 countries due to their high crime risk.