To ensure we are equipping our readers with all the information they need, we will continue to report on all travel, safety, and COVID-related news that could impact a Disney Parks visit.
Things continue to change when it comes to the COVID-19 situation.
COVID Sign
Mask requirements have changed on places like planes and at Disney World, testing requirements for certain cruise lines have been updated, and hospitalizations in places like Florida have even increased. Now, there has been a big change when it comes to what travel destinations are considered “high” risk for COVID-19.
The CDC moved up five new destinations to the “high” risk category for COVID-19 — Bahamas, Belize, Eswatini, Montserrat, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, according to CNN. These countries are all now in the Level 3 category, which is the “high” risk category and the top category at this time. Level 2 is considered “moderate” risk and Level 1 is “low” risk.
UPDATE: New destinations have been added to the list. Guyana, Mongolia, Namibia, and St. Kitts and Nevis have all been moved up from Level 2 to Level 3, according to WESH. In a previous update, Anguilla, Jamaica, and the Turks and Caicos Islands were moved up to Level 3, according to CNN.
©Grand Lucaya Beach & Golf Resort, Bahamas
Level 3 applies to countries that have had more than 100 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days. Level 3 is the highest risk category, Level 2 is “moderate,” and Level 1 is for those places considered “low” risk.
Level 4 (which used to be the highest risk category) is now “reserved only for special special circumstances, such as extremely high case counts, emergence of a new variant of concern or health care infrastructure collapse.” No countries have entered Level 4 as of May 31st. Many countries, however, have been at level 3 for a while now.
As of June 7th, 2022, about 115 destinations are at Level 3, which is roughly half of the places monitored by the CDC, according to WESH.
Face mask
The following European locations are at Level 3 right now:
- France,
- Germany,
- Greece,
- Ireland,
- Italy,
- The Netherlands,
- Portugal,
- Spain, and the
- United Kingdom.
Other countries in the Level 3 category include Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Malaysia, South Korea, and Thailand.
©Disney || Italy
The CDC advises people to get “up-to-date” on their COVID-19 vaccines before going to a Level 3 destination, meaning you have the full initial vaccinations and any boosters you are eligible for.
COVID-19 Vaccine Sign
There were also a few new places that are now in the Level 2: COVID-19 Moderate level:
- Guatemala,
- Zimbabwe,
- Bosnia and Herzegovina,
- Cuba,
- Dominican Republic,
- Moldova,
- Poland, and
- Tunisia.
Level 2 means there are 50 to 100 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days. There are about 15 places in the Level 2 category as of June 7th, according to WESH.
©WVNS
The Level 1: COVID-19 Low category also saw a small change — Egypt was added to the category after previously being listed as “unknown.” Level 1 means there have been 49 or fewer new cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days.
UPDATE: Two new countries have been added to the Level 1 category: Iran and Lebanon. Both countries were moved down from Level 2.
COVID-19 Health and Safety Sign
We’ll keep you updated on any other major travel changes we see regarding COVID-19, so stay tuned to DFB for more. To learn more about the Omicron COVID-19 variant, click here. And click here to see more about the BA.2.12.1 COVID-19 variant.
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Not sure how CDC work this out, here in the UK were pretty much done with covid & ‘cases’ are at an all time low
My wife was fully vaccinated and got her second booster in April. She came down with COVID 3 weeks later on May 7th. I caught it from her 3 days later (fully vaccinated and boosted). Symptoms were like a mild cold. I felt fine after 3-4 days. My wife says she feels OK but has a lot of congestion after 3 weeks. Perhaps the vaccine helped prevent more serious symptoms, but Omicron is a fairly mild COVID variant. Omicron will still infect you if you are vaccinated. That’s why it’s pointless to ask for proof of vaccination before eating at a restaurant or going on a cruise. You need proof of antibodies to verify you’re not contagious since you’ve already had COVID.
Where is Honduras at? Bay Islands?
Gazza, different places are at different stages in the pandemic.
Cinderella – sorry didn’t make it clear, I meant to say how do they class the UK as level 3 as we are pretty much done with it. If they still class the UK as ‘high risk’ then this is never going to end.