Aruba, France, French Polynesia, Iceland, Israel and Thailand all got the CDC’s highest designation, "Level 4: Very High Level of COVID-19," Aug. 9. Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, is also now on the Level 4 list.
According to World Health Organization data, all have seen an increase in COVID-19 cases.
As an example, here is how the CDC describes the warning for Aruba:
- Avoid travel to Aruba.
- If you must travel to Aruba, make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel.
- Because of the current situation in Aruba, even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants.
- See recommendations for fully vaccinated travelers.
- See recommendations for unvaccinated travelers.
- Travelers should follow recommendations or requirements in Aruba, including wearing a mask and staying 6 feet apart from others.
- Quick guide for travelers.
Greece, Ireland, Curaçao, St. Martin, St. Barts and the U.S. Virgin Islands were added to the Level 4 list on Aug. 2.
The U.S. Department of State has its own rankings. Those rankings range from Level 1 to Level 4, though they don't always line up with CDC warnings.
The State Department also issued similar "Level 4: Do not travel" advisories for Iceland, France and French Polynesia today.
For France, the State Department says:
"Do not travel to France due to COVID-19. ... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice for France due to COVID-19 indicating a very high level of COVID-19 in the country. There are restrictions in place affecting U.S. citizen entry into France."
Take a look at the color-coded map here for more information from the State Department.
