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A year into the pandemic, we’re seeing devastating consequences from the lack of travel: The tourism industry has been decimated, the livelihood of millions of people has been impacted and the mental health strain of staying home has taken its toll on many Americans. However travel is picking up again, with millions of Americans taking domestic and international trips again.
If you’re one of these people, it’s very important that you know the rules and safety protocols to protect yourself while traveling during the pandemic. We’ll cover that and everything else you need to know about traveling safety during COVID.
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In this post
Is it safe to travel during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Any kind of contact with other people can increase your chances of getting COVID-19 and travel is no exception. That being said, there was a report of a woman who got coronavirus after three weeks of quarantining at home. If you can catch the virus by staying home, you can travel safely and avoid the virus. The key is to abide by safety protocols.
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What precautions should I take while traveling during the coronavirus outbreak?
If you’re one of these people who is traveling during the pandemic, it’s important that you stay safe and follow health guidelines While none of these are guaranteed to keep you safe, they will reduce the risk of getting coronavirus. Here are seven tips for how to travel safely during the pandemic:
Get a COVID test
Regardless of what your destination’s COVID-19 testing requirements are, you should get one ahead of time. It’s the responsible thing to do and ensures that you do not unwittingly spread the virus even when you’re not exhibiting symptoms. Some destinations even require you to show a negative test result at least 72 hours before your trip.
You can get a COVID-19 PCR test much faster nowadays than at the onset of the pandemic. The most convenient option for many is at CVS.
Quarantine before and after your trip
You should quarantine at least tend days before your trip to decrease the likelihood of a positive test result and make sure you’re not inadvertently infecting others in the mean time. Ideally, you should take a test as soon as possible upon your return and quarantine while your results are processing.
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Pack a safety kit (hand sanitizer, extra masks)
Just because there’s a pandemic going on, that doesn’t mean the hospitality industry is necessarily up on the latest safety protocols. It’s important to be as prepared as possible and that means bringing your own safety kit. Pack a small bag with extra masks, hand sanitizer and wipes. You’d be surprised how many airplanes and hotel rooms aren’t thoroughly cleaned, despite claims of being “COVID safe.”
Bring your won cleaning wipes and make sure common touch points are wiped down. On planes, that includes your armrest, tray table and the in-flight entertainment screen. At hotels, you’ll want to wipe down the various light controls, door handles, drawers, the remote control and phone. If you’re prone to ordering room service, you’ll want to clean the menu as well. Luckily, many hotels are covering these in plastic, so you won’t damage the paper.
Take similar precautions in cabs and on buses, bringing your hand sanitizer everywhere you go.
Fly airlines that have empty middle seats and COVID safety protocols
While you should absolutely bring your own COVID safety kit regardless of which airline you fly, you should also pick your airline carefully. Some are more stringent than others when it comes to cleaning safety protocols. Here’s a list of airlines who clean airplanes before every flight.
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Frontier Airlines
- JetBlue
- Southwest
- United Airlines
While masks are mandatory on all flights, some airlines provide them free of charge. Here’s a list of airlines that offer masks to passengers:
- Alaska Airlines
- Allegiant
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Hawaiian Airlines
- JetBlue
- Southwest
- United Airlines
If you’re traveling on a long domestic flight, you should consider flying an airline that blocks middle seats. While proper social distance requires six feet apart, an empty middle seat is still better than nothing. Especially on longer flights, where passengers will often remove their masks multiple times to eat and drink, risking a chance of COVID transmittal. At the moment, Delta is the only airline blocking middle seats in economy class. Alaska Airlines blocks middle seats in business and first class only.
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Pick your seat strategically
If you’re not traveling on an airline that blocks middle seats, pick your seat strategically. That means checking the seating chart before your flight and changing your seat if there are lots of empty rows. For example, if a middle row aisle seat is taken, consider choosing a window seat in the row for maximum distance. Social distancing is key in staying safe during a pandemic and airplanes are no exception.
Dine outdoors or get takeout
Experts suspect that air conditioning systems contribute to the spread of COVID in indoor environments. That’s why many cities have banned indoor dining during the pandemic, limiting operations to takeout and indoor dining only. The CDC recommends takeout and delivery for the lowest risk, while outdoor dining comes with moderate risk.
More restaurants have begun offering outdoor dining during the pandemic, so its much easier to abide by this guideline. Make sure the restaurants you’re dining in is also keeping tables at least six feet apart.
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Bonus: Get vaccinated (if you’re eligible)
If you can get vaccinated before traveling, you absolutely should. While the vaccine won’t provide 100% immunity, it will reduce the severity of your symptoms if you do catch COVID.
The COVID vaccine rollout has been slow, to say the least. At the moment, healthcare providers are prioritizing high-risk group for vaccination. These include healthcare workers, first responders, the elderly and those with multiple medical conditions (obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc.). This handy tool can help you figure out when you might become eligible for the COVID vaccine and how many people in your county are ahead of you.
Another great resource would be to check out your county health department’s website. You’ll find the most up-to-date information about COVID vaccine availability and a timeline for rolling it out.
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Where Americans can travel in 2021
Americans can currently travel to 72 countries around the world, which is a huge improvement over last year. Most of these countries require a negative test result within 72 hours of travel. Be sure to check the State Department website in advance to find out what the entry requirements are for the country you want to visit.
- Albania
- Anguilla
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Armenia
- Aruba
- The Bahamas
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belize
- Bermuda
- Bolivia
- Bonaire
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- British Virign Islands
- Cambodia
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Curacao
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Dominica
-
Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Ethiopia
- Ghana
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Ireland
- Jamaica
- Kenya
- Kosovo
- Lebanon
- Liberia
- Maldives
- Malta
- Mexico
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Namibia
- Niger
- Nigeria
- North Macedonia
- Panama
- Peru
- Puerto Rico
- Rwanda
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- South Africa
- South Korea
- St. Barts
- St. Kitts & Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Maarten
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Tanzania
- Turkey
- Turks and Caicos
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- Zambia
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Traveling during the pandemic FAQ
Figuring out how to travel safely during the pandemic can be challenging and there’s a lot more to it than the seven tips above. Here’s an overview of some of the most frequently asked questions regarding travel during the COVID era:
Should I be canceling or postponing all travel due to coronavirus?
Health officials advise against traveling during the pandemic. If you’re able to, you should cancel or postpone your travels until you’re able to get the vaccine. Millions of Americans have already received the COVID-19 vaccine and some experts estimate the majority will be vaccinated by the end of the year. With just four months to go, it’s worthwhile to hold off on traveling if you can.
When should you delay your trip during the COVID-19 pandemic?
You should delay your trip if you’re experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. If you’ve been around someone who has tested positive, it’s also worth delaying your trip. The last thing you want to do is get sick while traveling or infect others.
Many airlines and hotels are offering flexible cancelation policies, so delaying your trip doesn’t have to be expensive. You might also want to consider buying travel insurance before booking your trip, so you’re fully covered in case policies change before you decide to cancel your plans.
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Should I wear a mask when traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Health officials unanimously agree that wearing a mask is an important step in preventing the transmission of COVID-19. So you should wear a mask when traveling during the pandemic. In fact, President Joe Biden has issued an executive order, making masks mandatory at airports and on airplanes and public transportation.
Some countries even penalize those who don’t wear masks in public. In Turkey, there is a 1000 TL fine (about $142) fine for violating the mask mandate. If you’re going to be required to wear a mask on airplanes and hotels, you should wear them in public regardless. Pack a few extras on your trip so you’re never without a clean mask.
Am I at risk for COVID-19 if I travel?
Studies have shown that the risk of getting COVID-19 on a plane is very low, due to the air filters being used. However, in November 2020 there was a report of passengers testing negative before a New Zealand-bound flight and testing positive upon arrival. These passengers had quarantined ahead of time and tested negative, so the case was baffling.
While all the COVID safety protocols are essentials, they may not 100% eliminate the risk of getting COVID while you travel.
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How long should you isolate after traveling during the pandemic?
The CDC recommends getting tested 3-5 days after travel and quarantining for seven days.
Where can I get a COVID test?
You have lots of options for getting a a COVID test, including pharmacies (i.e. CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Walmart), testing centers and your healthcare provider. This website has valuable testing information broken down by state.
You can also get a COVID test by mail through Pixel, Lucira and Abbott.
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Bottom line
If you’re traveling during the pandemic, taking these precautions is paramount to avoid getting or spreading COVID. Over two million people have died of COVID worldwide and the pandemic is spreading. While staying
It’s absolutely possible to travel safely during the pandemic.
Travel during the pandemic has been a contentious topic. With public health officials advising everyone to “stay home”, it sounds crazy to pack up and go on vacation. But plenty of people do just that.
Featured image by Anna Shvets from Pexels via Canva
