Travellers in the US have been urged not to travel to several destinations after the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention updated its list of countries and territories with a "very high" Covid-19 risk.
The CDC added 16 destinations to the highest risk category on Monday. Among the places added to the Level 4 category are popular holiday destinations Malta, Greece, Ireland and the US Virgin Islands.
These destinations join several other nations already listed as Level 4, including the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UK.
Guidance from the CDC recommends that travel to these destinations should be avoided. Anyone who must travel to any destinations in the Level 4 category should only go if they are fully vaccinated. As a whole, the CDC advises US citizens and residents not to travel internationally unless they have received both doses of a Covid-19 jab.
To be ranked as a Level 4 risk category, countries must have registered more than 500 cases of the coronavirus per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days.
Countries added to CDC's Level 4 category
- Andorra
- Curacao
- Gibraltar
- Greece
- Guadeloupe
- Iran
- Ireland
- Isle of Man
- Kazakhstan
- Lesotho
- Libya
- Malta
- Martinique
- St Barts
- Saint Martin
- US Virgin Islands
There are now a total of 70 destinations included in the CDC's Level 4 category.
Three other categories exist: Level 3 includes countries with a high risk of Covid-19; Level 2 for destinations with a moderate risk of Covid-19; and Level 1, where the risk of Covid-19 is deemed low.
Travellers are advised to check the latest guidelines for any destination before booking travel and before travelling, as the situation is evolving.
Several other destinations are listed by the CDC as Level Unknown. This includes Lebanon, Syria, Monaco and the Canary Islands. It also includes several other island destinations that made it on to the UK's original Green List for travel and which have remained open for UK travellers, such as South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and Saint Helena.
Travel guidance from the CDC states that vaccinated people can now "travel at low risk to themselves within the US". It urges travellers to pay close attention to the Covid-19 situation at their destination before travelling.
What is the CDC’s latest guidance on masks?
US authorities also reminded travellers that wearing a face mask on planes, buses, trains and other forms of public transportation was required, including at airports and train stations.
The CDC has recently come under fire for changing its stance on mask-wearing for those who are vaccinated against Covid-19.
In May, authorities said it was safe for people to go maskless while in indoor public spaces, if they were fully vaccinated. Last week, the advice changed with all people, vaccinated and unvaccinated, now advised to wear masks in places deemed to have substantial or high transmission of the virus.
This is in a bid to try to slow the spread of the Delta variant of the coronavirus, said the CDC.
Masks should also be worn at schools and universities, with both teachers and students required to wear face masks even if they are fully vaccinated.
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
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- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2
Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')
Barcelona 0
RESULTS
1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,200m
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Winner: Cranesbill, Fabrice Veron, Erwan Charpy.
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
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WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
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TERMINAL HIGH ALTITUDE AREA DEFENCE (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US's most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out ballistic missiles as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 150 kilometres above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then stationed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
FINAL LEADERBOARD
1. Jordan Spieth (USA) 65 69 65 69 - 12-under-par
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T6. Matthew Southgate (ENG) 72 72 67 65 - 4-under
T6. Brooks Koepka (USA) 65 72 68 71 - 4-under
T6. Branden Grace (RSA) 70 74 62 70 - 4-under
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
