United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated its travel advisories list, adding Puerto Rico and Switzerland to the series of COVID-19 highest-risk travel destinations. CDC recommends travelers to keep clear of the places conferred the “Level 4: Covid-19 Very High” notice. As advised by the agency, travelers should be fully vaccinated if their travel agenda is essential. With CDC’s evolving list that ranges from Level 1 (“low”) to Level 4 (“very high”), Azerbaijan, Estonia, Guam, North Macedonia, Puerto Rico, Saint Lucia, and Switzerland, are the travel destinations that progressed from the “Level 3: Covid-19 High” list to Level 4 last August 30. Based on the agency’s criteria, the locations under the Level 4 category have had more than 500 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days. On the other hand, destinations that are included in the Level 3 category have had between 100 and 500 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days.

Meanwhile, travel locations such as Bermuda, Canada, Germany, and Moldova also moved up to Level 3 from Level 2. Bahrain, Indonesia, Namibia, Oman, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe dropped from Level 4. In its broader travel guidance, CDC urges unvaccinated travelers to avoid nonessential travels to high-risk locations.