How can you get to your new destination without endangering your life or that of others? Planning for a journey could start with searching“PCR test near me” to know your COVID-19 status. Let’s take a look here:
For months, people have been locked up, and all they viewed as their screens. Well, I guess they are thirsty for more. Travelling seems to be one of the fun things to do now, but the thought of contracting the virus makes it a difficult choice. But this does not mean that restaurants, tourist sites, and countries like Greece and Italy are not welcoming new people.
But is there a chance of visiting the national park, while keeping a social distance, or getting on a plane without being infected (or infecting others if you have been exposed)? What of road travels? Can you bet that stopping over to use the public restroom will not be the worst mistake ever? This is probably in the mind of everyone. No wonder the search for ‘private COVID test near me’ has trended nonstop.
Nevertheless, only a few parts of the population will choose to jump on a plane now; a few others think waiting until late summer is a great idea. This sounds sensible considering the warning given by The Centre for Disease Control and the 14 isolation regulation by many states and countries.
Like you know, traveling improves your mental health and understanding the safety measures while traveling will help you lift the roadblock. So, here are a few challenges with traveling now and how you can handle them.
Should I travel by air?
The first thing that hits the mind after the thought of traveling by air is how to sit inside a metal tube with people you cannot trust. But you need to know this.
The risk of contracting the coronavirus while traveling by air will be significantly reduced if you and every other person on the plane have done pre-travel PCR test for COVID from a recognized lab and heed to the regulations by the World Health Organisation. This, however, is not restricted to airplanes alone.
Are you among those that get sick on the plane? Traveling by air is not as dangerous as it seems. There is an incredible amount of outdoor air, and the re-circulated air passes through the HEPA filter. Looking at this you should be more worried about picking a bug at the subway or queuing up at the airport security.
That too is not also a problem. The airports and airlines have upped their standards and now employ more frequent cleaning than before. Before every journey, the planes are also fogged with electrostatic disinfectants that stick onto the surfaces like seat belts.
If you get on the right airline, you will be offered some wipes to take care of your section of the surfaces to be sure. Also, many airlines have increased the allowed amount of hand sanitizer on the plane from 3.4 ounces to 12.
Face covering has now become a necessity for traveling by air. Airlines are also working hard to ensure that people do not seat so close to each other. But, however, is not an assurance that the middle seat will be empty considering the reduction in the number of operating flights. However, they also check for fever and do not allow people with a temperature higher than 100.4°F to go on-board.
Depending on your location and destination, you may be required to show proof of testing negative to COVID-19, while some will demand you get tested on arrival. Others make the 14 days quarantine after arrival compulsory. To ensure you follow the rules, they may ask you to follow an isolation plan, download an app, and use a tracking bracelet.
Vaccination certifications are essential for every travel. Since there aren’t enough pieces of evidence to support the immunity theory, no one believes that being infected and now being free from the virus makes it impossible for you to be re-infected, and transfer the bug to others.
Can I visit a National Park?
The challenge here is avoiding the large crowd, and that is one of the common characteristics of a park.
Parks have so many positive effects on our mental and physical health, compared to the risks. Being in nature, the risk of transmitting or contracting the virus is lowered. The most important thing do to be safe is to keep a six-foot distance from everyone else. Is that hard to do? Consider them as wolves that will only tear you up, and you will have a natural ability to keep them away.
Before visiting any park, check their websites to know if they are closed, or open to a limited number of visitors. You should also find out about their restaurants and adherence to the COVID-19 prevention regulations. Most of all, avoid going for group activities since it may be more challenging to observe physical distancing.
When camping, remember to keep a safe distance from others and use your bug spray (since the summer is the season for ticks and mosquitoes). A sunscreen will do you good and remember that having a face mask tan shows your loyalty to protecting the lives of others around you.
Is renting a cottage by the sea a great idea?
As great as this has always been, it is now more challenging to access the safety of these beaches and vacation rental properties. But I believe this will help.
Staying safe on the beach has more to do with your ability to avoid people and obey the COVID-19 prevention regulations. Scientists have not proven that people can transmit the virus in water. So, do more about avoiding people than water. But when heading to the beach for fun, remember to carry your hand sanitizer and oxybenzone-free reef-safe sunscreen.
Touching rental properties, you must know whether the property has been cleaned according to the COVID-19 cleaning guidance. You should also find out and be sure that there is a vacation period of between 24 – 72 hours since the lady occupant left. This, however, may not be so possible seeing that the cleaners may visit the place during this duration.
Since the virus can float in the air for about three hours, and stay on surfaces between two to three days. You must ensure every surface is thoroughly cleaned. Maintaining quality and frequent handwashing habits will help you reduce the risk of infection. However, if you feel more anxious over the trip than you have confidence in your safety, it is recommended for you to postpone.
Can I lodge in a hotel?
This lies more on keeping a safe distance and relying on housekeeping. How do you manage this?
Any hotel that takes proper care of its employees by giving the needed personal protective equipment and paying them during their sick leave has a better chance of taking better care of you. You should check the website of the hotel you intend to stay at to see how much they are adhering to the COVID-19 prevention techniques.
Let your property of choice be one whose protocols are based on science other than fancy things with little or no good effects. They should pay attention to the most critical areas. Search for hotels that have plexiglass at their reception and demand all their staff to wear face masks, or on that; you can book online and use your phone to unlock the room.
The elevators are not so safe now, so you should avoid them if possible. This should be your chance to exercise with the stairs. Only go for a swim then there is no crowd at the pool. The standard pool cleaning is enough to kill the germs in there. It would help if you were more concerned about people than water.
About the food, it is safer to use room service than the restaurants. The most important thing is to stay six feet away from people and regularly wash your hands.
Are the public restrooms safe?
Nature can call at any time. How do you take care of business in busy restrooms? Here is how to get through with it during your travel.
Always treat public restrooms like there are tons of viruses lying on their surfaces. So, only use them when it is necessary. Only go for well-ventilated and single-stall bathrooms where possible and stay away from people.
Your most trusted savior after using a public restroom is good hand hygiene. That means you should wash your hands and dry them, or use a sanitizer if you cannot find soap. Though there are no enough data to prove that SARS CoV-2 can be aerosolized during flushing, it is wise to cover the lid before you flush.
How do I deal with those that are not using face masks?
The challenge here is keeping yourself safe without overstepping the boundaries of others. When dealing with this kind of issue, remember this:
People need to get used to a new way of living for them to adhere to all the COVID-19 protocols correctly. So, they will quickly relax and have fun when they are stressed. It would help if you were kind and understanding to reduce stress.
The best way to encourage others is to set a good example. When a person is not wearing the mask or getting too close, politely ask him to give you a little more space. However, it would be best if you were cautious when dealing with total strangers. Try not to confront them and if you cannot deal with the issue, seek help from the manager or flight attendants.
Knowing the basics for staying safe
According to the CDC, touching objects is not as potent for transmitting the virus as staying close to people is. The most critical prevention tip here is to maintain at least a six-foot distance if not more from people that are not living with you. Wearing a face mask prevents you from spreading the virus to others.
The other prevention tips according to WHO are avoiding contact with your face, washing your hands regularly, sneezing and coughing into your elbow, frequently disinfecting the commonly touched surfaces like your phone, and staying at home when unwell. Doing this will keep you and others around you safe from the virus.
Quick considerations for travel
Everything requires new protocols during a pandemic, even going to the grocery store. Learning about and following the lockdown restrictions and the quarantine policies of your home country and travel destination will make you more ready to travel. But know that some borders are only open to essential travels and you will not be allowed to go through for a nonessential trip.
Always check your options. People with a higher risk of contracting the virus have to apply extra caution. Understand the post-travel quarantine rules and that of your employer. It will be unfair of you to take the virus from your community to a place with a low number of cases or back to your home. Before traveling, ensure that the benefits of the journey outweigh the risk of spreading the virus.
When choosing where to go and how you will arrive there, prioritize places that will make it easy for you to avoid the crowd. From an infection standpoint, it is safer to drive than travel commercially. With driving, you are in more control about how you will arrive at your destination and who stays in the car with you. You will also get to choose the best preventive measures for you, and how well you clean the surfaces. Above all, you will decide where to stop by and the day of your return.
The bottom line
Traveling during the pandemic has more to do with staying safe and protecting others. This begins with running a PCR test for COVID. You can visit us for this test or search for ‘PCR covid test near me’ we are sure you will get a list of recommendations on the clinics running the test in your locality.