How to Travel Safely During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak to be a pandemic back in March, our world has flipped entirely upside down. People lost their jobs, businesses went bankrupt, events are canceled or postponed, restaurants are starting to close their doors permanently while others are trying to survive, and hospitals are getting overwhelmed with the influx of COVID-19 patients.
The economy has taken a massive hit from this pandemic, and one of the sectors that it has affected the most is the travel industry. With no signs of slowing down, the pandemic has forced many countries to close off their borders to tourists coming in from certain countries. Many airlines had to cancel their flights, which has negatively affected the hotel business as they rely heavily on tourists and business travelers. That begs the question:
Are we still able to travel during this pandemic? And if so, what is the safest way to travel?
Yes, we can travel, but only if we take the precautionary measures to do so. Obviously, if you are sick, show symptoms, or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the past 14 days you should not travel. Before deciding on whether to travel or not, it’s important to do your research first. Government and local state channels are great places to start. Here are some questions to consider before deciding to travel.
Am I living with at-risk family members? Especially those with underlying health conditions or they are 65 age or older?
If yes, am I able to social distance from them around the house for at least two weeks?
Are there a lot of cases in the area or state that I’m going to? You might also want to check if the state is included in the watch list.
Have the cases been increasing or decreasing in the past 14 days in the state that you will be traveling to?
Lastly, you might want to consider your personal situation such as age, physical condition, and medical history.
If you decide to travel, here are some important points to keep in mind to travel safely during this pandemic:
Get tested before and after your trip to minimize risk to others. It might be wise to leave a 3 to 5-day window open between the day you get tested and the day you start your trip. That window may be more depending on which company you go through to get tested. I got my results in less than two days, while others had to wait a week to receive theirs. CDC recommends that after you come back from your trip, wait at least four days to get tested, or else the test will come out to be a false negative.
Before deciding on a place to travel to, check to see if the destination will have requirements or restrictions for travelers. Requirements may include self-quarantine for 14 days or proof of a negative COVID-19 test. Requirements and restrictions vary by each state so it is important to do the research. Unless your trip is more than two weeks, I highly advise not to travel to those states where you have to self-quarantine as you will be losing valuable time when you can be having fun.
Before deciding on a place to stay or which car rental company to book through, consider looking into their policies and their COVID-19 prevention practices. Many hotels have implemented strict cleaning procedures and protocols to minimize the risk for travelers. Airbnb has recently launched its Enhanced Clean Initiative program. Before booking at a property, check to see if the host is participating in the program. A lot of rental car companies are now taking precautionary measures to sanitize high-touch areas for their customers. It’s always good to check on each company to see what steps they are taking to protect customers from COVID-19.
Be transparent with one another if you’re traveling with friends or strangers. I can’t stress this point enough. I’m not saying that you should write down all the places that you’ve been to in the past two weeks and share it with your friends. If you’ve been in a situation where you might have gotten exposed or were in a crowded area where people were not wearing masks or social distance guidelines were not followed, let your friends know before the trip so that they are aware. During the trip, check up on one another from time to time to see how they’re doing health-wise. Stay alert for any symptoms, which include cough, fever, sore throat, nausea or vomiting, loss of smell and taste, and other symptoms.
Wear a face mask and carry hand sanitizers at all times. It’s important to protect not only ourselves from the virus but others as well. Here is a great article that was written by Healthline on the science behind how face masks prevent coronavirus
Adhere to social distance guidelines. Stay six feet apart and wash your hands whenever you can. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least twenty seconds. Try not to touch your face, nose, or mouth if you have been in a public space.
Try to go somewhere where there are fewer crowds. This is where doing your research comes in handy. I’ve never been the type to go to locations that are crowded with people. Usually, those locations are very touristy areas. Before the pandemic, I avoided those areas at all costs because people were always in my photo. Now more than ever, you should avoid these areas and go on the road less traveled. Try going on hikes that few people go on or go to the lesser-known areas.
Try to stay at an Airbnb instead of a hotel. There are many articles written about this topic, but I would recommend staying at an Airbnb instead of a hotel from my experience. One of the main reasons is that you have less person to person contact if you stay at an Airbnb. You have people coming in and out at a hotel, and you have no idea if they are asymptomatic or not. With an Airbnb, you have a ton of privacy, and there is no-contact check-in, which lessens your chance of being exposed to the virus. Make sure to disinfect all the high-touch areas, especially for Airbnbs. High-touch areas include doorknobs, light switches, phones, TV remotes, sinks, and toilet handles. Better safe than sorry!
If you’re car camping, make sure to do research on rest areas because most of them are closed. I experienced this when I recently went on a trip to Oregon. Even though Google Maps told me that the rest area was open, the sign said it was closed when I passed by it on the highway. To avoid these situations, I suggest researching rest areas through the department of transportation of the state that you will be traveling to, to see which rest areas are open.
Bring extra clothes than you usually do on trips, especially if you’re car camping. The CDC recommends households to wash their clothes frequently. This would be difficult if you’re car camping and have no lodging. Some laundromats may be closed during this time. Therefore, it’s important to bring an extra set of clothes as chances are you won’t be able to wash your clothes at any point on your trip.
Most restrooms at gas stations and other public areas are closed. I highly recommend stopping at a rest area if you need to go to the restroom. That would be your best bet.
I hope this blog post was helpful so that next time when you travel, you can do safely with peace of mind. With the current climate, nobody knows if traveling will ever be the same again. But until we can reach normalcy, we must all do our part by adhering to COVID-19 guidelines to keep ourselves, our community, and the rest of the world safe.
Read more about my past travels:
