Thursday, 28 Mar 2024

Caribbean Vacation Hotspot Added To CDC’s ‘High’ COVID-19 Risk List

An immensely popular Caribbean island and a less-frequented Middle Eastern country just found themselves bumped up to the highest COVID-19 risk level on the CDC’s list.


Caribbean Vacation Hotspot Added To CDC’s ‘High’ COVID-19 Risk List

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) added two global destinations to its "Level 3: High" COVID-risk category this week, one of which is among the Caribbean's most popular tropical island hotspots for American travelers-the Dominican Republic.

Also escalated to the "High" designation was the Middle Eastern nation of Kuwait, which is known mainly for its historical heritage and cultural attractions. The DR was bumped up one tier from its prior "Level 2: Moderate" status, while Kuwait made a larger leap, having previously been classed at "Level 1: Low".

The Dominican Republic (DR) has been vastly popular this year among U.S. travelers seeking Caribbean beach vacations, with the clear waters and powdery sands of Punta Cana making it the country's largest hub for tourist resorts. It also helped that the DR's entry requirements were relatively lenient, even before most countries began relaxing their COVID-19 restrictions in recent months. Also, all of the DR's hospitality sector workers are fully vaccinated, providing additional peace of mind for resort guests.

In mid-April, the CDC overhauled the format of its Travel Health Notice system for foreign destinations. Level 4, previously the highest COVID-risk designation, is now reserved for places with 'Special Circumstances/Do Not Travel' warnings, making Level 3 effectively the highest-risk classification.

Examples of circumstances that would warrant a Level 4 label might include extremely high case counts, the emergence of a new variant of concern or healthcare infrastructure collapse in a certain country. To date, no destination has received this particular designation.

"Level 1: Low" destinations are those that have seen 49 or fewer new cases per 100,000 residents over the prior 28 days; "Level 2: Moderate" ones are those that have reported between 50 and 100 new cases per 100,000; while countries categorized as "Level 3: High" are those that have had over 100 new cases per 100,000 people over the same period.

There were nearly 115 destinations at Level 3 when the CDC released its weekly update on June 27, representing close to half of the roughly 235 world destinations that the agency monitors.

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