CDC adds 3 places to its ‘high’ risk list for Covid-19

(CNN) — The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday added three destinations to its “high” risk category for travel, including an Eastern European country known for its mountains, thick forests and folklore culture.

Romania is the most notable travel destination to receive a Level 3, “Covid-19 high” designation in a week that saw few overall changes in risk assessment.

The other two were Romania’s smaller, wine-making neighbor Moldova and sparsely populated St. Pierre and Miquelon, a French archipelago off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

There were almost 125 destinations at Level 3 on August 1. Level 3 locations account for more than half the roughly 235 places monitored by the CDC.

The designation applies to places that have had more than 100 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days. Level 2 and Level 1 are considered “moderate” and “low” risk, respectively.

To recap, these three destinations received “high” risk designations on Monday:

• Moldova
• Romania
• St. Pierre and Miquelon

Level 4, previously the highest risk category, is now reserved only for special circumstances, such as extremely high case counts, emergence of a new variant of concern or health care infrastructure collapse. Under the new system, no destinations have been placed at Level 4 so far.

More on Level 3

Much of Europe has been stubbornly lodged at Level 3 for months with the summer travel season entering a traditionally busy August. The following popular European destinations were among those remaining at Level 3 as of August 1:

• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Ireland
• Italy
• The Netherlands
• Norway
• Portugal
• Spain
• United Kingdom

A panoramic view of Rio de Janeiro with Sugarloaf and Guanabara Bay in summer is seen from Mirante Dona Marta. Brazil is still at Level 3 for Covid-19 risk.

Grafissimo/E+/Getty Images

Those aren’t the only high-profile spots that find themselves at Level 3. Numerous other destinations around the world are among those in the “high” risk category, including the following:

• Brazil
• Canada
• Costa Rica
• Malaysia
• Mexico
• South Korea
• Thailand
• Turkey

Level 2

Mount Agung volcano is seen at sunset in Bali. Indonesia moved up to Level 2 this week.

Matteo Colombo/Digital Vision/Getty Images

Destinations carrying the “Level 2: Covid-19 Moderate” designation reported 50 to 100 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days. The CDC designated just two new Level 2 places on Monday:

• Indonesia
• Nepal

The move was a move in the wrong direction for both Asian…