MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US adds Argentina, Uruguay and Bolivia to list of destinations to avoid due to covid

The CDC also insists on people getting vaccinated

The United States' Centers for Disease Control has added 22 countries to the level four travel warning list due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases, particularly of the omicron variant.

Among those no-go destinations are Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, Panama, the Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Suriname and Saint Lucia.

Outside the Americas, another level 4 destination where US citizens are discouraged to go were Israel, Australia, Egypt, Albania, Qatar and Bahrain. There are over 100 countries listed under level 4 including Canada and Aruba, while less than 20 countries are on the CDC’s level 1 list.

The CDC has thus issued a recommendation to US nationals to avoid travelling to level 4 countries and, if travel cannot be avoided, to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The CDC places a destination under level 4 whenever there are more than 500 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 28 days.

Meanwhile, the CDC also moved 22 countries to its Level 3 category, which is considered “high” risk of Covid-19 and applies to countries that have had between 100 and 500 cases per 100,000 residents in the last 28 days: Costa Rica, Ivory Coast, Cuba, Fiji, Ghana, Jamaica, Kuwait and Paraguay were among those 22. This category is currently made up of almost 60 nations.

The CDC advises people who do not have their complete vaccination scheme not to travel internationally and to get a booster dose for people eligible for one.

Upon returning to the United States, travelers should be tested for COVID-19 3-5 days after arrival and watch for any symptoms.