The CDC slaps "do not travel" warning on 4 more countries as COVID-19 remains a threat to global travel
While we are seeing many signs of optimism regarding COVID-19 such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) relaxing mask-wearing guidance in the U.S., we are far from done with the pandemic.
The TSA for example continues to mandate that masks be worn in airports and on board airplanes. And the coronavirus remains a major concern globally, with the latest proof coming with the CDC adding four more countries to its "avoid travel" category.
The CDC's Level 4: Very High risk classification for COVID infections, its most severe travel warning, has ballooned to include more than half of the nations and territories on the planet. To be exact, there are 140 countries Americans are urged to not travel to at the moment.
The latest countries slapped with the Level 4 warning are:
- Bhutan
- Brunei
- Iran
- Malaysia
There is some cautious optimism to be gleaned from the CDC's weekly update. This is the fewest number of countries to be bumped up to the Level 4 category in a week this year. Since January 1st, dozens of nations and territories have been added to the list, primarily due to rising cases related to the omicron variant.
According to the official CDC website, Level 4 classification means travelers should "avoid travel to these destinations. If you must travel to these destinations, make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel."
Countries and territories get categorized as Level 4 when 500 or more new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people are detected over the past 28 days.
Related: CDC warns against travel to the Caribbean due to COVID-19 danger
The CDC has four levels of travel recommendations, beginning at "low" risk and rising to "moderate," "high" and finally its strongest warning, "very high." The ratings are designed to help Americans navigate travel during the pandemic, especially now during a time when case levels vary wildly from country to country. The public health agency continues to recommend all travelers be fully vaccinated before visiting any foreign destination.
With the latest updates, there are now more countries and territories at Level 4 than in all the other CDC categories combined.
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| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
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Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
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Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month