CDC adds Sweden, two other nations to high-risk COVID list

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday added Sweden, Guatemala and Morocco to its list of countries with a high-risk of COVID-19.

The three countries were previously considered to be a moderate risk, according to a web archive of the CDC’s list of countries on its travel advisory list. The high-risk designation means potential travelers should not visit a country if they are not up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines. 

The CDC’s four-tier system of travel advisories notes how big a risk of contracting the COVID-19 is by traveling to the country. A level one and two designations, denoting a “low” and “moderate” risk, respectively, mean travelers should be up to date on the vaccines in ahead of visiting. 

A level four designation, labeled “special circumstances/do not travel,” means people should not visit these countries but if they must, they should be up to date with their vaccines.

The CDC also includes a list of more than 50 locations whose COVID-19 levels are unknown.

No country is currently listed as having a level four designation. 

The CDC updated its travel policy last month to no longer require travelers from a foreign country to show a negative COVID-19 test before coming to the United States. 

Johns Hopkins University data shows Sweden’s 7-day rolling average of cases has remained a few hundred for months while Guatemala and Morocco’s have been up to a few thousand in the past month.