(CNN) – Two tropical islands halfway around the world and popular with tourists – Jamaica in the Caribbean and Sri Lanka in South Asia – are now among the riskiest destinations for travelers.
The isolated nation of Brunei on the island of Borneo is also joining the growing list of highest risks amid a global wave of cases of Delta variants.
People should avoid going to places designated with the “Very High Level 4: Covid-19” notice, recommends the CDC. Anyone who needs to travel should first be fully vaccinated, the agency advises.
How the CDC ranks nations
An aerial view of Kingston, Jamaica. The popular Caribbean island was recently hit by a wave of Covid-19 cases.
Valery Sharifulin / TASS / Getty Images
CDC’s evolving list of travel advisories ranges from Level 1 (“low”) to Level 4 (“very high”).
Destinations that fall under the Level 4 “Very High Covid-19” category have recorded more than 500 cases per 100,000 population in the past 28 days, according to CDC criteria. The level 3 category applies to destinations that have recorded between 100 and 500 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 28 days.
Other popular destinations at level 4
A view of the Peloponnese in Greece, which is at CDC’s highest risk level.
Suzanne Plunkett / CNN
Some of the world’s most visited vacation spots have a spot on the CDC’s Level 4 list. This includes the Covid-ravaged Brazil, which has occupied a place there for months. Other popular countries currently considered most at risk include:
– The Bahamas
– Costa-Rica
— France
– Greece
– Iceland
– Ireland
– Malaysia
— Portugal
— South Africa
– Spain
– Thailand
— Turkey
— UK.
Level 3: High risk
Also on Tuesday, 10 nations were newly assigned to the CDC’s “Level 3: Covid-19 High†category. The small Caribbean resort island of Anguilla has been a big popular mover with luxury travelers.
He was at “level 1: low” and had maintained strict protocols on the arrival of tourists throughout the pandemic. Visitors must be fully vaccinated to enter and must still take a Covid-19 test and self-quarantine.
The other places upgraded to level 3 on Tuesday were:
– Antigua and Barbuda (above level 2)
– Benin (above level 1)
– Ghana (above level 2)
– Grenade (above level 1)
– Turks and Caicos Islands (above level 2)
A view of an Amsterdam canal on August 19. The Netherlands moved to CDC Level 3 on Tuesday, an improvement from their previous Level 4.
Oscar Gonzalez / NurPhoto / Getty Images
The move to level 3 was actually good news and a sign of progress for the UAE, which was at level 4. The other countries that moved from level 4 to level 3 were:
– Guinea-Bissau
– Malta
— The Netherlands
Not vaccinated? Do not leave
“Fully vaccinated travelers are less likely to contract and spread Covid-19. However, international travel poses additional risks, and even fully vaccinated travelers may be at increased risk of contracting and possibly spreading certain variants of Covid-19. “the agency said.