Throughout the past two years, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been kept busy by a constant need to reassess the health risk level of travel to various countries. Specifically, the CDC created warnings to describe the prevalence of COVID-19 in other nations.
Now, employees at the CDC are finally getting a rest. Over the past two weeks, the agency hasn’t needed to shift even one territory or country to the highest risk category, Level 4.
The CDC puts countries and territories at Level 4 when those regions have 500 verified COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people over four weeks. At several points, the U.S. itself would have qualified as Level 4 the CDC assessed it in such a way.
Though it’s positive that the CDC hasn’t needed to raise any countries to Level 4, that’s not the only encouraging change. The government agency also removed 20 countries from the highest risk level.
The following countries are now at Level 3:
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Belize
Canada
Grenada
Iran
Libya
Oman
Panama
Paraguay
Saint Lucia
Suriname
The CDC lowered these countries to Level 2:
Botswana
The Dominican Republic
Eswatini
Iraq
South Africa
The countries listed below are newly at Level 1:
Ghana
Jamaica
Malawi
Morocco
Nepal
Pakistan
Last week, the CDC also removed its health warning for cruise ship travel. Cruise ships saw several superspreader events early in the pandemic, but the government agency no longer believes such events are likely.