Staying at home remains the best policy during this period as travelling makes you more susceptible to catching and spreading the virus. Covid-19 can infect you while travelling. You may be healthy and asymptomatic, yet spread coronavirus to people. It usually takes 14 days after being infected to start transmitting the infection to friends, family members, and others.
Should you be sick or around a COVID-19-infected person within the last 14 days, don’t travel. Avoid travelling with sick persons.
What to consider before travelling
Is your destination a high-risk place?
If where you’re travelling to has more COVID-19 cases, you’ll likely catch the infection and pass it to others when you come back.
Are you staying with someone who has a higher chance of chronic sickness from coronavirus?
Should you contract coronavirus from travelling, even if you’re asymptomatic (have no symptoms), you can pass it on to close friends and family.
Do you have a higher chance of chronic sickness from coronavirus?
Covid-19 can infect anyone, however, older adults and persons with some underlying health conditions are at more risk of serious sickness from coronavirus.
Are there traveller-restrictions or requirements at your destination?
People in some states and territories are mandated to wear face masks and quarantine themselves for 14 days if they’ve recently travelled. So, visit state, local, and territorial health websites for travel information. For international travels, check details of entry and restrictions for foreigners including compulsory testing or quarantine, from your destination’s Foreign Affairs or Ministry of Health, or any other relevant body.
When you travel
You can take a COVID test for travel, in addition to these measures:
- Cover your nose and mouth with a face mask when you’re in public places
- Maintain a 2 metres distance from non-family members
- Wash your hands regularly or use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol
- Don’t touch your eyes, mouth, and nose
- Stay away from sick persons
Travel types and considerations
As stated earlier, travelling exposes you to more danger of being coronavirus-infected. Your safety depends on how well you and other travellers practice safe measures like wearing a face mask and social distancing.
At train stations, airports, and bus stations, people converge, and it’s difficult to practice social distancing. Again, at these places, you can get exposed to the virus in the air and on surfaces. In fact, the more close you are to a COVID-19 patient, the greater your risk of being infected.
Air travel
While it may be difficult to catch viruses and germs on flights due to air circulation, social distancing isn’t easy on crowded flights, and seating for a long time within 2 metres of others can increase your chance of being infected. Public transportation and sharing a ride isn’t safe either.
Travelling by bus or train
Seating or standing in buses or trains for a long time within 2 metres of others can make you prone to coronavirus
Travelling by car
Frequent stops for food, gas, or to use the bathroom can bring you and your co-travellers in contact with people and surfaces that have been touched.
RV travel
Travelling by RV can mean you are sleeping at RV parks, and getting gas and groceries from public places. Stopping may expose you to other person’s.
Companies protection for customers
Find out how companies are safeguarding the lives of their customers from coronavirus before travelling. Look out for:
- Enforcing the use of face masks
- Social distancing
- The use of contactless payment
- Improved cleaning procedures
- The use of online reservations and check-in
Public safety against coronavirus while travelling
- In public: Wear a face mask and social distance
- Bathrooms and rest stops: After using the bathroom, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based sanitiser on your hands
- Refuelling: Handle gas pumps buttons and handles with disinfecting wipes. After getting gas, sanitise your hands. Wash your hands with soap and water when you arrive at your destination.
- Hotels and accommodations: Check your hotel for guidelines in place and practice personal safety and cleanliness.
- Food stops: Travel with your own food. If you don’t, opt for drive-through restaurants, take-outs, pick-up, and curb-side alternatives.
Plan for your travel
- Go with face masks
- Get and keep alcohol-based hand sanitizer within reach
- Travel with enough medications
- Pack food and water in case restaurants, grocery store, and other shops are closed
- Follow CDC’s guidance on how to clean your travel lodgings
Be informed about travel restrictions
Stay updated on your destination’s travel requirements or restrictions. They are inevitable upon your arrival and could include testing, quarantine, stay-at-home orders, etc. State, local, tribal and territorial health departments can furnish you with this information. Bear in mind that these policies may change as you travel.
Should you be travelling to another country, contact their Office of Foreign Affairs, or Ministry of Health for arrival requirements and restrictions. Some countries may demand you get tested for COVID-19 before passing through the border. Should you test positive, you may be isolated for some time.
When you get back from travel
To keep others safe from any slight chance of contracting coronavirus, when you return from your destination, do the following:
- Monitor your health and look out for COVID-19 symptoms. Check your temperature if you feel unwell
- Wear a face mask in public
- Maintain 2 metres distance between you and others
- Wash your hands regularly or use an alcohol-based sanitizer
Adhere to your state or local health and safety recommendations.
High-risk activities
The following activities are considered to increase coronavirus infection and transmission:
- Visiting places with more cases of COVID-19
- Attending social gatherings like concert, wedding, funeral etc
- Travelling on a cruise ship or river boat, and more
If you’ve engaged in the above activities, protect others by:
- Staying at home as much as possible
- Staying away from people with a high risk of serious sickness from coronavirus
- Consider PCR test for travel London.
Don’t travel if you’ve been exposed to COVID-19; call us on 020 71830244 to undergo a CVID-19 test.
