Travel in the Time of Covid

It’s that time of the year—the kids are out of school, the weather is warm and the world beckons. But wait, it’s summer 2020 and we are still in the midst of a worldwide pandemic! After being locked down for months, the urge to travel is great but the facts are that the number of COVID-19 cases is still on the rise in the US and in other hard-hit countries like Brazil, India, Mexico, Russia and most of South America. If you can manage to tame your wanderlust, staycations are preferable this summer but if feel you must travel, follow these guidelines to ensure your health and safety while on the road.

Travel Insurance

Purchase travel insurance if you are traveling abroad and make certain it covers pandemic-related claims. Familiarize yourself with the location of the nearest hospitals at your destination, assess their ability to handle COVID-19 cases and their ability to provide translation services if you should need them. If you are traveling within the US, check ahead and identify the nearest medical facilities that are within your health insurance plan network and inquire about their COVID-19 capabilities. You may want to avoid traveling to infection hot spots because ICUs in those areas may be full or near capacity; covidtracking.com can give you the latest stats before you make your travel arrangements.

Get Your Ducks in a Row

If you are run down from a lack of sleep, stress, a bad diet, or a pre-existing illness you are more likely to become ill while traveling, so don’t be a sitting duck!

Make certain it is absolutely necessary for you to travel. Bring extra doses of medications in case your return is delayed, and consider taking immune-modulating, antiviral herbs like reishi and maitake mushrooms along with olive leaf extract. These and other ingredients can be found in our Natural Immunity formula that can be ordered at www.taostar.com.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Check airports to make certain that temperature checks, touchless check-in and bag drop and facial recognition technology is in place, and that non-ticketed travelers are banned. Wear a mask and bring your own wipes and hand sanitizers—the TSA has made an exemption that allows passengers to carry up to 12 oz. containers of sanitizer per person. Obey social distancing at the airport and refrain from touching any part of your face, use a tissue if you need to wipe your face or scratch an itch.

Some airlines like Southwest and Delta have enforced empty middle seat rules on flights but there are other airlines that pack their flights to full capacity so consult online travel forums for updates on airline practices. Keep your mask on throughout the entire flight, wipe down your tray table, seat, seatbelt and buckle, the overhead bin handle, window shades and armrests. Avoid using airplane lavatories if possible, but remember that it is important to drink enough water to prevent dehydration. 

If you must use the bathroom, use paper towels or tissues to avoid touching surfaces like doorknobs, the sink and the toilet seat. Do not flush paper towels down the toilet on an airplane. Follow the rules. Wash your hands thoroughly after using the toilet and open the door handle with a paper towel. Avoid eating on the plane and wait until after you have deplaned and to eat somewhere that you can maintain social distance from others. 

For most people, travel by car will be the preferred mode of transportation. When stopping for food or fuel, wear gloves, avoiding touching surfaces and your face, wash or sanitize your hands and practice social distancing. You might want to consider traveling by RV in order to avoid needing to go to restaurants or using public restrooms.

International Travel

Many countries still ban non-citizens and residents from entering. The European Union and European Schengen regions may block US passport holders from visiting because of our still-surging rates of infection. Some cities like Hong Cong and Vienna allow US citizens to enter, but they may require a 14-day quarantine upon arrival or subject incoming passengers to rapid viral testing along with confinement until test results are in. Some countries like South Korea and China require travelers to install contact tracing software on their mobile devices.

Lodging and Overnight Accommodations

Many hotels have instituted sanitizing procedures and limit the number of guests they allow. It is hard to say whether hotels might be a better option than privately hosted lodging because standards vary. It would be wise to check with your hosts or hotel before you make a reservation in order to fully understand their cleaning procedures.

It is important to do your own sanitizing before settling into your hotel or lodging. Wear a mask and gloves and wipe down all touchable surfaces in the room with a disinfecting product. Remove your shoes when entering the room. Pack disposable slippers to be worn in the room and dispose of them when you check out. Use a luggage rack rather than placing your suitcase on the bed or on the floor.

Wear your mask in all common areas of the hotel. Pack wrinkle-free clothing and leave it in your suitcase. Refuse all room cleaning and turn-down services and request that no one enters your room until you check out. If you order room service, ask to have food packed in disposable containers along with disposable utensils and ask them to leave your bagged food outside of the room so you can bring the food inside and leave the tray in the hallway.

Dining Out

BYOF (Bring Your Own Food or Flask)! Pack food and beverages at home. Divide the food into individual portions in reusable or disposable containers along with a reusable water bottle. If you are dining in a restaurant, order your food for take-out ahead of time, or eat outside on the restaurant’s patio if that is possible. While dining, observe six feet of distance from other patrons. Carry and use your own disposable utensils if none are available at the dining establishment. 

Practice good hygiene by washing or sanitizing your hands before eating, sanitize them again after wiping your face or blowing your nose, and discard tissue or paper towels immediately after use. After shopping for food, discard plastic or paper grocery bags and wipe down packaged food with a disinfecting product. Wash fruit with soap and water. Sanitize your hands before opening the packaged food and refrain from dipping your hands into the snack bag or food box. Pour food from the container into individual paper plates or bowls for serving and dipping.

If You Test Positive for COVID-19 While Traveling

Unless you become very ill and require hospitalization, a positive COVID-19 test with few or no symptoms usually means that you will need to quarantine for 14 days. If you test positive while traveling, seek out a local healthcare provider who can monitor you in case you require further medical attention. If you are positive for COVID, alert hotel staff or your host so they can inform those who are directly taking care of your cleaning, laundry and food preparation so that they too can take proper precautions. If you are abroad, register with the US Embassy and provide both the embassy and your family with your location and contact information.

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I hope that your staycation or summer travel will bring you much-needed respite from a traumatic, stressful spring. Continue to maintain vigilance and taking extra precautions to avoid unnecessary suffering and illness and keep your trip to paradise from turning into a nightmare. If you have any questions or need assistance while you are away, as always, the doctors at Tao of Wellness will be happy to provide you with online consultation.

Happy and Healthy Trails!