US agency adds 7 more countries to Level 4 travel category due to coronavirus

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) added seven more countries to the highest risk travel category because of the coronavirus.

They include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Oman, Libya, Japan, Israel, Cuba and Armenia, bringing the total number of countries at "Level 4: COVID-19 Very High" to 133.

"Avoid travel to these destinations. If you must travel to these destinations, make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel," the CDC wrote Monday on its website.

Countries are listed in Level 4 when they register more than 500 new cases per 100,000 people in the past 28 days, according to the website.

Since December 2019, the virus has claimed more than 5.75 million lives in at least 192 countries and regions, with over 398.3 million cases reported worldwide, according to US-based Johns Hopkins University.