The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated this Monday (18) the criteria used to base recommendations made to the population about international travel amid the Covid pandemic. As a result, 89 countries left the highest risk category, which previously included destinations not recommended for travel.
For now, that list is empty, and the remaining nations there — such as Brazil, the United Kingdom, France, Japan and Russia — have moved to level 3 of the categories, described as high risk. There is also level 2, moderate risk, and level 1, low risk. The main recommendation, for the three, is that the passenger is vaccinated against Covid to travel.
In a note, the CDC explained that the new category 4, renamed on the website as “special circumstances”, will now be aimed at countries and territories where there is a rapid escalation in daily Covid cases, the emergence of a new variant or the collapse of the system. of local health. Previously, nations in which more than 500 new daily cases of the disease per 100,000 inhabitants had been recorded in the last month were grouped there.
“We believe the updated framework will help Americans make more informed decisions about the safety of international travel,” added the agency, which also mentioned the fact that the number of new infections was slightly up in the US, where the BA.2 subvariant constitutes more than 85% of cases.
The last few weeks indicate an increase in Covid cases. Of the 50 American states, 27 recorded a worsening in contagions. The current high hits especially the northwest region of the country, which includes New York and Washington. The area has had around 120 new cases daily per 100,000 inhabitants. That’s double the rate recorded in March, but still a far cry from the 2,200 rate seen in January.
Airlines and travel groups have been pushing President Joe Biden’s administration to lift negative Covid testing requirements before embarking on international travel and have argued that the old category recommending not to travel to some destinations was unnecessary and discouraged tourism. .
Companies in the area had already celebrated the end of the mandatory mask on American public transportation, a determination by a federal judge who contradicted a previous recommendation by the White House.
Shortly after the announcement, also made on Monday (18), all major airlines such as American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Airlines, as well as the national train company Amtrak, relaxed restrictions and the requirement of the item immediately.
“We are relieved to see the US mask requirement lifted to facilitate global travel as the coronavirus has transitioned into a common seasonal virus,” Delta wrote in a statement, adding that the item will be optional for all employees, members of crew and customers.
In the case of travel to Brazil, which is in the high-risk group, the CDC recommends that passengers avoid traveling to the country, even if they are vaccinated, arguing that there may still be a risk of contracting and spreading the virus. It also says that those with weakened immune systems or more likely to develop serious illness, even vaccinated, should consider delaying travel.
The weekly average of admissions of new Covid patients to US hospitals was 1,416 in the week ended April 16, a figure that represents a reduction of more than 93% compared to the number observed in the first week of this year. The data is from the CDC monitoring platform.
Approximately 66% of the American population completed the first vaccination schedule (received the first two doses or a single dose), and 45.4% had already received the booster dose.
_114708.jpg?fit=%2C&ssl=1)
