CDC MOVES ARUBA UP TO LEVEL 4 RISK CATEGORY

[Ken Kurtis]

Just passing this on . . .

(CNN) — In its first update of travel advisories for 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has added just one new destination -- a popular Caribbean winter getaway -- to its highest-risk category.The CDC advises travelers to avoid Aruba, a Dutch island just off the coast of South America, as it now resides at Level 4 with a "very high level" of Covid-19 risk. The CDC places a destination at Level 4 when more than 500 cases per 100,000 residents are registered in the past 28 days.

 

[SaltyKSue]

Just passing this on . . .

(CNN) — In its first update of travel advisories for 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has added just one new destination -- a popular Caribbean winter getaway -- to its highest-risk category.The CDC advises travelers to avoid Aruba, a Dutch island just off the coast of South America, as it now resides at Level 4 with a "very high level" of Covid-19 risk. The CDC places a destination at Level 4 when more than 500 cases per 100,000 residents are registered in the past 28 days.

I hope this changes. I am going to Aruba in March.

 

[drrich2]

I wonder what the United States would be categorized under their system? We tend to get average case daily new case rates lately well north of 200,000 people in a nation with 330 million people. 200,000 daily new cases/330 million population = 1 case in 1,650 people per day in the U.S. And that's using a case rate way under what's been reported a number of recent days.

But you said when > 500 cases per 100,000 residents are registered in the past 28 days.

So, it becomes 28 cases in 1,650 people per 28 days in the U.S. Now to convert to per 100,000 population.

28 cases/1,650 population = x cases/100,000 population.
x = 28x100,000/1,650 = 1,697 (rounded up).

So, if I did the math (which is not my strong point!) correctly, then the U.S. is Level 4, with a very high level of COVID-19 risk.

Should we flee?

 

[Ken Kurtis]

So, if I did the math (which is not my strong point!) correctly, then the U.S. is Level 4, with a very high level of COVID-19 risk.

Most other countries have the US listed as high-risk on the COVID scale.

 

[SaltyKSue]

Ken, You're right!
Going from one "high risk country" to another isn't what bothers me. I just want to go.
Some countries lock down. So, hopefully they don't.
With that being said..... any suggestions on Dive ops in Aruba? I started looking and there is one with Mermaid in the name. Has anyone dove with them? If so, how were they?
I prefer a smaller boat than the "cattle boats"
Also, does anyone have advice or suggestions on car rentals?

 

[Ukmc]

It is true that many states (probably most states) of the United States are very high risk for COVID. However, ramifications of what happens if one contracts COVID at home, vs abroad, especially on the island, are quite different. Understanding the Risk Level, will not preclude one from traveling there, however would be helpful if deciding between travel to Level 2 or 3 island vs Level 4.

 

[Joneill]

Ken, You're right!
Going from one "high risk country" to another isn't what bothers me. I just want to go.
Some countries lock down. So, hopefully they don't.
With that being said..... any suggestions on Dive ops in Aruba? I started looking and there is one with Mermaid in the name. Has anyone dove with them? If so, how were they?
I prefer a smaller boat than the "cattle boats"
Also, does anyone have advice or suggestions on car rentals?

I've been diving in Aruba annually since 2015 and was just there in July and November. I was supposed to head back down today, but we canceled as the risk of a positive return test is too high there at present (over 100 tourists testing positive each day) - 5-10 extra days in quaratine was not a risk worth taking right now. We'll head back in June instead.

I highly recommend diving with JADs - I have always had great experiences with them. Contact Sue at info@jadsaruba.com.

 

[SaltyKSue]

Thanks for that recommendation Joneill

 

[ReadyTo Dive]

Ken, You're right!
Going from one "high risk country" to another isn't what bothers me. I just want to go.
Some countries lock down. So, hopefully they don't.
With that being said..... any suggestions on Dive ops in Aruba? I started looking and there is one with Mermaid in the name. Has anyone dove with them? If so, how were they?
I prefer a smaller boat than the "cattle boats"
Also, does anyone have advice or suggestions on car rentals?

We love Aruba but all of my info is pre-Covid. We had a great time with Aqua Windies for 8-9 days in 2019, I’d use them again. More people on the boat than anywhere we’ve ever booked (8-9 divers broken into 2 groups of 4 +a DM) but that was the situation most everywhere we found in Aruba... Clive was unavailable both times we went, really our only real Aruba bummer, he’s on our list for sure if we ever go back.

AW had several standout DM’s (and a really nice boat) but one time we hired Rudolpho (sp?) as a private guide from JADS to do some private shore diving down south and had multiple fantastic 90-95 minute dives with him, one of my favorite DM’s ever and really great dives. We have friends who love and dive Jeffery at Happy Divers all the time too but we haven’t dove with him personally. Lots of fun (wreck) dives to be had but I think doing “Airplane” for the first time as a night dive was my favorite. Tons of topside fun too - have a great time!

 

[Joneill]

We love Aruba but all of my info is pre-Covid. We had a great time with Aqua Windies for 8-9 days in 2019, I’d use them again. More people on the boat than anywhere we’ve ever booked (8-9 divers broken into 2 groups of 4 +a DM) but that was the situation most everywhere we found in Aruba... Clive was unavailable both times we went, really our only real Aruba bummer, he’s on our list for sure if we ever go back.

AW had several standout DM’s (and a really nice boat) but one time we hired Rudolpho (sp?) as a private guide from JADS to do some private shore diving down south and had multiple fantastic 90-95 minute dives with him, one of my favorite DM’s ever and really great dives. We have friends who love and dive Jeffery at Happy Divers all the time too but we haven’t dove with him personally. Lots of fun (wreck) dives to be had but I think doing “Airplane” for the first time as a night dive was my favorite. Tons of topside fun too - have a great time!

Rudolf from JADs is awesome - quite the character. We did a great night shore dive with him at Rocky Beach in November and a very funny thing happened that towards the end of the dive:

Rudolf was leading and shone his light down at something on a coral head about 10 feet below - lo and behold, this "thing" immediately launched straight up and "attacked" him. After he shook it loose and it was harmlessly dropping to the bottom like a leaf in the wind, we saw it was just a slipper lobster - neddless to say, we had quite the laugh about it once back topside!