Traveling During The Pandemic? Get To Know The Do’s, The Don’ts, And The Must-Haves

Traveling During The Pandemic: The COVID-19 has no doubt changed the way people live, in various aspects of livelihood. Aside from the significant loss of human life in countries afflicted with the pandemic, it also caused people to lose their jobs, for businesses to earn less or to close down, and for the poverty to worsen. Even the travel industry has been affected. 

The pandemic also has effects upon the leisure of traveling or upon the tourism industry itself. The World Tourism Organization has the details. Among the most widely affected sectors by the COVID-19 pandemic are the travel and tourism sectors. Contributing to this effect are the global restrictions placed by governments in order to mitigate the spread of the virus. Based on the 2020 data, international tourist arrivals fell to a significant 72 percent in January to October 2020. These include a loss of $935 billion upon export revenues normally gained from international tourism. Yet, there are individuals who need to travel for business or for work. Then, there are people who simply cannot let go of the joys and the pleasures that traveling gives them. 

Traveling During The Pandemic

Traveling provides a lot of advantages, for the health and for the overall. Did you know traveling decreases the rate of heart diseases? Aside from this, traveling also relieves stress, promotes physical activity similar to working out, boosts the person’s creativity, and makes the traveler happy. 

This changed when the pandemic struck the world. Nowadays, not everybody can freely travel to their dream destinations compared to before. There are a lot of travel restrictions in place, meaning to say, only essential travel is allowed in many parts of the globe. Essential travel includes travel for work or for business. Should anyone wish to travel for recreation, they will have to abide by the rules set by the government in the location they are in, present documents that say they tested negative for the virus, wear their face masks at all times, and many other requirements relevant to the COVID-19 situation. 

However, you cannot simply restrict yourself from traveling, especially if it is needed for work, or when you want to travel just like you normally would. In this edition of our post, we take a look at the do’s, the don’ts, and the travel must-haves in this time of the pandemic. 

The Do’s 

Prepare your notepads to take down notes on the do’s, the don’ts, and the must-haves when traveling in this time of the COVID-19 situation. We organized the do’s according to the appropriate category. Let us get started.

Prior To Traveling

Before you travel, it is important to make sure you are at the best of your health. If you show symptoms, it is strictly advised not to go further with your trip. One of the best ways to prevent spreading the virus is to get vaccinated. Ask yourself the questions whether you are at a high risk of spreading the illness, you live with people who are at greater risk for the illness, and more. You must also follow the testing and travel rules of your state, locality, or federal area. 

Local Restrictions And Testing 

Check with your locality whether there are requirements for travelers, such as wearing masks or getting tested. For those who are vaccinated, there might be no requirements to get tested before the trip. It is important to choose to stay home for now if you show symptoms of the disease. For those who are not yet vaccinated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rules that you must get tested one to three days before the trip, and wait for the results. Keep the results on the duration of your trip. If you tested positive, it is best to stay home and quarantine. 

During The Trip

During your travel, it is necessary to wear face masks, especially when you are commuting on the train, buses, or while inside the airplane. Maintain a six feet distance between you and the other travelers. Always keep a hand sanitizer with you as you limit contact around. 

Air Travel

If you are traveling by air, social distancing is also a must. Aside from wearing face masks, you must also use a hand sanitizer and keep this inside your carry-on bag. Be careful about handling food to avoid the spread of the virus. Wash your hands frequently. 

Road Travel

If you are traveling by car, wearing face masks, using hand sanitizers often, and handling food carefully are a must. If you need to get gas, wash your hands or use a sanitizer afterward. If you need to get food, prefer to get them via drive-thru or curbside pickup. 

Staying At A Hotel

Staying at a hotel or any lodging space is part of every travel. There are also measures to follow while at the hotel. Wearing face masks and bringing a hand sanitizer with you are among the habits you must have to avoid the spread of the virus, or to avoid getting infected. If you are not yet vaccinated, once you arrive in your room, be sure to disinfect doorknobs, tables, phones, faucets, and more. You should also wash the plates, cups, and silverware, among others to avoid getting the virus. Later on, you will get to know the must-haves when traveling in this time of the COVID-19 situation. 

Prioritize Safety

Know that there are comorbidities, or other diseases you might be diagnosed with that can further worsen the situation.

Safety should be a priority. Choose to stay home when you are showing symptoms of COVID-19, waiting for the results of the test, when you are diagnosed with COVID-19, or live with someone who is diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 14 days.  

The Don’ts

Now that you got to know the do’s in traveling during this time of the pandemic, let us take a look at the don’ts. We are now at over a year since the virus struck the world, more so that you should take precaution. 

First, do not travel when you do not have to. Traveling increases your risk of getting the virus. Everything will fall into place one day in the future, and it is best to wait for the pandemic to end before your recreational trips. 

If your travel is essential or you really need to take a trip, do not forget to check the travel restrictions and safety protocols in your destination. You might be coming from a country with fewer infections, but going to a country with a lot of infections. 

Do not get too close with other travelers. Maintain physical distancing. Avoid touching your face. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. If you do, use sanitizers to avoid getting the virus. Avoid traveling with people who are showing symptoms of the virus, or diagnosed with the illness. Do not travel when you have tested positive for the virus. This is to avoid you spreading the virus upon others, and worsening the situation. 

When on your trip, avoid engaging in high-risk activities that include the usual participation in the crowd in restaurants, airports, and the like. Assess the situation when you are looking at attending large gatherings, like weddings, church services, and more. 

Traveling During The Pandemic: Travel Must-Haves In This Time Of COVID-19

Here are the travel must-haves in this time of the pandemic:

1. Face masks
2. Face shield
3. Clean towel
4. Portable hand sanitizer
5. Antibacterial wipes
6. Travel-size disinfectant wipes
7. Smartphone sanitizer
8. A reusable bag to store your travel gear
9. Thermometer

These are on top of the usual travel essentials and gear you bring with you while on your trips.

Taking on a trip is a stress reliever, yet these interests are put to the test now that the world faces the pandemic. In these times, making your choice can be difficult. However, one thing is accurate, we will get through with this. 

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