US CDC Adds PH to 'High' Travel Risk List for COVID-19

CDC Adds PH to 'High' Travel Risk List for COVID-19; DOH Says US Uses Different Metrics

The United States' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) added three countries to its Level 3 or "high" travel risk list for COVID-19, namely Russia, Nepal, and the Philippines.

In an updated notice on Aug. 15, the CDC advised travelers to ensure they are "up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines before traveling to the Philippines."

"If you are not up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines, avoid travel to the Philippines," the notice read. "Even if you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines, you may still be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19."

The CDC currently has four COVID-19 levels for its travel health notices: Level 1 or Low; Level 2 or Moderate; Level 3 or High; and Level 4 or Special Circumstances.

In a press briefing on Tuesday, as shared by INQUIRER.net on YouTube, Department of Health Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire noted that the U.S. CDC and the Philippines use different metrics in classifying a place as high risk.

She pointed out that the CDC uses the incidence rate triangulated with testing data. As per CDC's website, Levels 3, 2, and 1 are "primarily determined by 28-day incidence or case counts..."

"Dito po sa ating bansa, we know na ito pong number of cases ay hindi po na natin binibigyan ng equal weight with our health care utilization. Dito po sa ating bansa we already have aligned with most of the countries, kung saan pinaka-of value na sa atin ngayon is to preserve our health care system," she said.

(Here in our country, we know that we no longer give equal weight to the number of cases with our health care utilization. Here in our country, we already have aligned with most of the countries, wherein what is most of value for us right now is to preserve our health care system).

In terms of its risk classification, she also said that the CDC talks about the number of COVID-19 cases and those testing positive for the disease, but there is a need "to further go deep and analyze this."

"Ilan ba diyan sa sinasabi nila naging high risk tayo ay severe at critical? Ilan ba diyan ang na-ospital? At alam po natin lahat ang sagot dito sa atin sa Pilipinas. Ang atin pong severe and critical infection remains to be at that low number, less than one thousand, and ang ating pong mga na-a-admit manageable and na-pe-preserve pa rin natin ang ating health care system capacity," she concluded.

(How many of these cases are severe and critical? How many of them were hospitalized? We know the answer to that here in the Philippines. Our severe and critical infection remains to be at that low number, less than one thousand, and those who are admitted are manageable and we are still able to preserve our health care system capacity).

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