Skip to main content

CANADA-Exceptionally High Risk For Travel

Canada has an extreme high risk, the Country is deemed 'very high' risk for travel.

(CNN) — Canada was moved to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's highest-risk category for travel on Monday.

The world's second-largest country by total area, Canada has seen a steep rise in cases as the Omicron variant spreads. The country recorded 294,437 new cases for the week ending January 8, according to Johns Hopkins University figures, its highest weekly total of the pandemic.

Canada was joined by one other destination -- the Caribbean island of Curaçao in moving up to the CDC's Level 4: Covid-19 Very High category on Monday.

The CDC places a destination at Level 4 when more than 500 cases per 100,000 residents are registered in the past 28 days. The CDC advises travelers to avoid travel to Level 4 countries.

Canada had previously been at Level 3 since August 30, 2021. Curaçao, a self-governing country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, had been at Level 3 since November 22, 2021.

On December 15, Canada issued an advisory to its citizens asking that they avoid all nonessential international travel. Last week, a group of air travelers partying maskless en route to Mexico from Montreal earned a rebuke from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Most international visitors to Canada are required to be vaccinated and to have a negative Covid-19 test result.

Pastel colored buildings line the waterfront of old town Willemstad, Curaçao. This Dutch island has been moved up to risk Level 4 by the CDC, joining 'ABC' sister islands Aruba and Bonaire.

In addition to new entries Canada and Curaçao, some of the biggest travel names remain firmly lodged at the CDC's Level 4 for now:

• France

• Iceland

• Ireland

• Italy

• Netherlands

• Portugal

• South Africa

• Spain

• Switzerland

• United Kingdom

More than 80 destinations were rated Level 4 as of January 10. You can view the CDC's risk levels for global destinations on its travel recommendations page.

In its broader travel guidance, the CDC has recommended avoiding all international travel until you are fully vaccinated.

On December 30, the CDC increased the risk for cruise ship travel to Level 4 and said it should be avoided, regardless of vaccination status.


Last week, two large cruise lines canceled upcoming sailings on numerous ships as Covid-related interruptions mounted.

Level 3 additions

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 -- saw 10 new additions on Monday from a variety of regions:

• Armenia
• Bahrain
• Belarus
• Cape Verde
• Ethiopia
• Lesotho
• Singapore
• United Arab Emirates
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

The Level 3 designation was actually good news for Armenia and Belarus, which had previously been at Level 4.

It was also good news for Lesotho and Zimbabwe, two of eight southern African countries that landed at Level 4 at the end of November after the Omicron variant was discovered in the region. The US travel ban affecting those countries was lifted on December 31.

It was a move in the wrong direction for Bahrain, Cape Verde, Ethiopia and Zambia, which had been at Level 2. The United Arab Emirates jumped up two risk levels from Level 1.

And Singapore, which was listed as unknown last week because of a lack of information, moved into Level 3.

Level 2

Destinations carrying the "Level 2: Covid-19 Moderate" designation have seen 50 to 99 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days. That level saw eight new additions Monday, five of them in Africa:

• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• El Salvador
• Fiji
• Kuwait
• Liberia
• Rwanda
• São Tomé and Príncipe
• Togo

Level 1 and Unknown

In the category of "Level 1: Covid-19 Low" destinations, fewer than 50 new cases per 100,000 residents have been logged over the past 28 days. There were no updates to that category on Monday.
Finally, there are destinations for which the CDC has an "unknown" risk because of a lack of information. Usually, but not always, these are small, remote places. No new destinations were listed in the "unknown" category on Monday.

The countries welcoming US tourists now -- and some resources for your visit

Considerations for travel

Transmission rates are important to consider when making travel decisions, but there are other factors to weigh as well, according Dr. Leana Wen, a CNN medical analyst, emergency physician and professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.

"The transmission rates are one guidepost," Wen said. "Another is what precautions are required and followed in the place that you're going and then the third is what are you planning to do once you're there.

"Are you planning to visit a lot of attractions and go to indoor bars? That's very different from you're going somewhere where you're planning to lie on the beach all day and not interact with anyone else. That's very different. Those are very different levels of risk."

Vaccination is the most significant safety factor for travel since unvaccinated travelers are more likely to become ill and transmit Covid-19 to others, Wen said.

She said people should be wearing a high-quality mask -- N95, KN95 or KF94 -- anytime they're in crowded indoor settings with people of unknown vaccination status.

Before you travel, it's also important to consider what you would do if you end up testing positive away from home, Wen said. Where will you stay and how easy will it be to get a test to return home?

Culled: Marnie Hunter, CNN, Image Credit: Thrillist, the Conversation, Eternity Law International. 



Comments

  1. The last statement needs to be considered critically.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Type your comments here

Popular posts from this blog

In The Spotlight-N250m donation: Davido releases list of 292 beneficiaries

The list of 292 orphanages that benefited from his donation of N250 million, has been released by Nigerian singer, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido.  Davido had sent out a video message to his friends and colleagues in the entertainment industry to send money to him as part of his birthday celebration in November 2021. After the shout out to his friends, the DMW label boss was able to amass over N100 million, in a few hours. This amount later grew to N200million in a few days. Davido then added a personal donation of N50 million to make it N250 million. Davido declared that he was giving the money to charity. He said that he would set up a committee to ensure the disbursement of the money to orphanages across the country. Guess what, Davido has now revealed that the money had been disbursed to 292 homes selected from all the states of the federation. This information was contained in a statement signed by the multi-award winning singer on Tuesday. The statement reads, “As p...

The CBN Reverses Its Decision And Sets New Limit On New Naira Note Withdrawal

The Central Bank of Nigeria had initially stopped the withdrawal of the new Naira notes over the counter, directing commercial banks to instead dispense the cash through their Auto Teller Machines (ATM) to the public. Thursday, 2, February 2023, the apex bank has now backtracked on that decision, it is informing the commercial banks to resume over-the-counter withdrawal of the new N200, N500 and N1,000 notes. The Central Bank of Nigeria, has set a new directive of a maximum daily payout limit of N20,000, consisting of redesigned Naira notes, to each customer.  “In line with this resolve, the Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, has directed deposit money banks (DMBs) to commence the payment of the redesigned Naira notes over the counter, subject to a maximum daily payout limit of N20,000.  “We also admonish members of the public to embrace and adopt other payment channels for their transactions.  “The Naira is our legal tender and symbol of national pride. Therefore, let us resp...

You And Your Health

Image Credit: SoundCloud  Today we present some foods that are highly rich in protein. Number 1 GUAVA ● 4.2 grams of the Protein  in every cup. Guava is one of the most protein-rich fruits around. You'll get a whopping 4.2 grams of the stuff in every cup. Number 2 GREEN PEAS                                      Green Peas ● One cup of green peas can give you 8 gm protein.  Green peas are a great source of protein for vegans and vegetarians. Protein rich foods are required for weight loss, build up of muscle mass, reducing appetite and curbing hunger pangs. They are rich in protein. Number 3 LENTILS ● A cup of cooked lentils contains 18 grams of protein. Lentils are an excellent source of B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. They’re also a great source of plant-based protein and fiber. This legume is the perfect food as it is high in both protein and fiber. Number 4 ...