The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced it has downgraded several destinations on its travel advisories list, including Switzerland and Puerto Rico.
According to Reuters.com, the CDC downgraded seven countries and territories from the “Level 3: Covid-19 High” list to the “Level 4: Covid-19 Very High” list due to an increasing number of confirmed coronavirus cases.
Destinations moved to Level 4 include Azerbaijan, Estonia, Guam, North Macedonia, Puerto Rico, Saint Lucia and Switzerland. To be downgraded to Level 4, countries and territories must have reported more than 500 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days.
The CDC recommends travelers get fully vaccinated before visiting Level 4 destinations.
The government agency also added ten other countries and territories to its Level 3 list. Bermuda, Canada, Germany and Moldova were downgraded from “Level 2: Moderate level of COVID-19,” while Bahrain, Indonesia, Namibia, Oman, Rwanda and Zimbabwe were upgraded from Level 4.
Unvaccinated tourists heading to Level 3 destinations are being advised to avoid nonessential travel to the locations. The CDC is also recommending that all Americans receive a full vaccination before international travel.
Last week, the CDC updated its guidance for those taking a cruise, recommending that travelers who are at increased risk for severe illness should avoid sailing on a cruise ship, regardless of vaccination status.