The CDC Just Added 22 Destinations to Its 'Avoid Travel' List
Australia, the Bahamas, Argentina, and more have been upgraded to a Level 4, the highest level in the CDC's warning system.
Omicron is out here doing the most to ruin any hope of a vacation in the near future. First, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) moved all of cruise travel to a Level 4 in its warning system, the highest level, dashing our hopes of hitting the seas anytime soon. And now, the CDC has added 22 additional destinations to its already-lengthy "avoid travel" advisory.
On Tuesday, the agency upgraded Argentina, Australia, the Bahamas, and more to a Level 4, advising travelers to avoid these destinations altogether, even if fully vaccinated.
"Because of the current situation in [these destinations], even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants," the CDC said in its advisory.
Here's the full list of locations that were upgraded to a Level 4 on January 18:
- Albania
- Argentina
- Australia
- Bahrain
- Bermuda
- Bolivia
- Cape Verde
- Egypt
- Grenada
- Guyana
- Israel
- Panama
- Qatar
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- St. Lucia
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Sint Maarten
- Suriname
- The Bahamas
- The British Virgin Islands
- Turks & Caicos
- Uruguay
Nationally, the highly contagious Omicron variant has continued to surge. According to the Johns Hopkins University's COVID tracking data the US has reported a 28-day 15.4 million case total while Australia, for example, recorded 1.6 million cases for that same time period.
"Getting vaccinated is still the best way to protect yourself from severe disease, slow the spread of COVID-19, and reduce the number of new variants," the agency says in its advisory. "[The] CDC encourages you get a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose if you are eligible. People who are not fully vaccinated should follow additional recommendations before, during, and after travel."