How to Travel Safely After the release of Coronavirus Vaccine

Covid-19 has re-defined lives and also vacation travel. Last year between July 2019 to September 2019 around 80 million trips were done by Americans alone. Travelers have been forced to reconsider where to go, how to get there, and the safety precautions they need to take.  Whenever you travel, you are at the risk of getting exposed to some infection; not just COVID-19 but any other viral infection. There are still plenty of ways to enjoy a getaway while protecting yourself from coronavirus. With the weather cooling up, in winter we are observing an increase in active transmission of corona virus in almost every country. Keeping in view the possible availability of corona vaccine, many of our readers ask us about the feasibility of travel during COVID-19.

UK, USA and many other countries approved Covid vaccine, and it is distributed to people based on priority like health care workers will be given first followed by other groups. But if you get our opinion, we would suggest you to avoid non-essential travel at any cost. Let’s take a deeper look to this matter. Hopefully we will get to some positive decision.

SCHENGEN VISA

HOTEL RESERVATION

Decide which country is safest to travel based on number of COVID Cases Reported

As of Dec 12, 2020, worldometers.info website reported below numbers for different countries

 

Position

Country

Total

1

USA

16,545,024

2

India

9,857,380

3

Brazil

6,880,595

4

Russia

2,625,848

5

France

2,365,319

6

UK

1,830,956

7

Italy

1,825,775

8

Turkey

1,809,809

9

Spain

1,741,439

10

Argentina

1,494,602

11

Colombia

1,417,072

12

Germany

1,320,592

13

Mexico

1,229,379

14

Poland

1,126,700

15

Iran

1,100,818

16

Peru

980,943

17

Ukraine

885,039

18

South Africa

852,965

19

Indonesia

611,631

20

Netherlands

603,603

21

Belgium

603,159

22

Czechia

575,422

23

Iraq

573,622

24

Chile

569,781

25

Romania

551,900

26

Bangladesh

489,178

27

Canada

454,852

28

Philippines

448,331

29

Pakistan

435,056

30

Morocco

397,597

31

Switzerland

373,831

32

Saudi Arabia

359,749

33

Israel

355,786

34

Portugal

344,700

35

Sweden

320,098

36

Austria

319,822

37

Hungary

276,247

38

Serbia

261,437

39

Jordan

257,275

40

Nepal

247,593

41

Ecuador

201,524

42

Panama

190,585

43

Georgia

187,006

44

UAE

183,755

45

Bulgaria

178,952

46

Japan

174,299

47

Croatia

172,523

48

Azerbaijan

171,423

49

Belarus

158,334

50

Dominican Republic

153,585

51

Costa Rica

150,947

52

Armenia

147,312

53

Bolivia

146,697

54

Kuwait

146,044

55

Lebanon

145,245

56

Qatar

140,827

57

Kazakhstan

140,784

58

Slovakia

130,794

59

Guatemala

129,099

60

Moldova

125,723

61

Oman

125,669

62

Greece

123,842

63

Egypt

121,089

64

Ethiopia

116,297

65

Honduras

113,708

66

Tunisia

110,393

67

Palestine

108,099

68

Myanmar

107,215

69

Denmark

107,116

70

Venezuela

106,715

71

Bosnia and Herzegovina

100,306

72

Slovenia

95,481

73

Paraguay

92,913

74

Algeria

91,638

75

Kenya

91,526

76

Lithuania

90,252

77

Libya

89,880

78

Bahrain

88,965

79

China

86,701

80

Malaysia

82,246

81

Kyrgyzstan

77,059

82

Ireland

75,756

83

Uzbekistan

74,811

84

North Macedonia

73,025

85

Nigeria

72,757

86

Singapore

58,313

87

Ghana

52,933

88

Afghanistan

48,952

89

Albania

47,742

90

S. Korea

41,736

91

El Salvador

41,394

92

Luxembourg

41,272

93

Montenegro

40,948

94

Norway

40,803

95

Sri Lanka

32,135

96

Finland

30,450

97

Australia

28,024

98

Uganda

27,071

99

Cameroon

25,143

100

Latvia

25,046

101

Ivory Coast

21,639

102

Sudan

21,147

103

Zambia

18,217

104

Estonia

17,713

105

Madagascar

17,587

106

Senegal

17,061

107

Mozambique

16,812

108

Namibia

16,269

109

Angola

16,161

110

French Polynesia

15,618

111

Cyprus

14,476

112

DRC

14,342

113

Guinea

13,420

114

Maldives

13,348

115

Tajikistan

12,624

116

Botswana

12,501

117

French Guiana

11,800

118

Jamaica

11,608

119

Cabo Verde

11,302

120

Zimbabwe

11,219

121

Malta

11,101

122

Mauritania

10,780

123

Haiti

9,491

124

Cuba

9,354

125

Gabon

9,330

126

Uruguay

9,180

127

Belize

9,173

128

Syria

9,041

129

Guadeloupe

8,472

130

Réunion

8,431

131

Bahamas

7,648

132

Hong Kong

7,447

133

Andorra

7,288

134

Trinidad and Tobago

6,864

135

Eswatini

6,714

136

Rwanda

6,528

137

Malawi

6,063

138

Congo

6,049

139

Nicaragua

5,887

140

Guyana

5,879

141

Djibouti

5,725

142

Mali

5,721

143

Martinique

5,575

144

Iceland

5,552

145

Mayotte

5,551

146

Suriname

5,340

147

Equatorial Guinea

5,185

148

Aruba

5,044

149

CAR

4,936

150

Somalia

4,579

151

Thailand

4,192

152

Burkina Faso

3,894

153

Gambia

3,779

154

Curaçao

3,576

155

Togo

3,221

156

South Sudan

3,206

157

Benin

3,090

158

Guinea-Bissau

2,444

159

Sierra Leone

2,440

160

Lesotho

2,250

161

Niger

2,199

162

New Zealand

2,092

163

Yemen

2,083

164

Channel Islands

1,977

165

San Marino

1,932

166

Chad

1,751

167

Liberia

1,676

168

Liechtenstein

1,482

169

Vietnam

1,395

170

Sint Maarten

1,225

171

Gibraltar

1,072

172

Sao Tome and Principe

1,009

173

Mongolia

906

174

Saint Martin

801

175

Turks and Caicos

769

176

Taiwan

733

177

Burundi

728

178

Papua New Guinea

720

179

Diamond Princess

712

180

Eritrea

711

181

Monaco

668

182

Comoros

628

183

Faeroe Islands

525

184

Mauritius

515

185

Tanzania

509

186

Bhutan

436

187

Bermuda

391

188

Isle of Man

370

189

Cambodia

357

190

Cayman Islands

298

191

Barbados

292

192

Saint Lucia

274

193

Seychelles

187

194

Caribbean Netherlands

175

195

St. Barth

162

196

Brunei

152

197

Antigua and Barbuda

148

198

St. Vincent Grenadines

94

199

Dominica

87

200

British Virgin Islands

76

201

Macao

46

202

Fiji

44

203

Grenada

43

204

Laos

41

205

New Caledonia

36

206

Timor-Leste

31

207

Vatican City

27

208

Saint Kitts and Nevis

27

209

Greenland

19

210

Falkland Islands

17

211

Solomon Islands

17

212

Saint Pierre Miquelon

14

213

Montserrat

13

214

Western Sahara

10

215

Anguilla

10

216

MS Zaandam

9

217

Marshall Islands

4

218

Wallis and Futuna

3

219

Samoa

2

220

Vanuatu

1

What coronavirus studies suggest?

According to a recent study, even if corona vaccine is finally released, only 49% of travelers would take a risk of traveling. Keeping the risk in mind, people have a wait-and-see approach towards traveling.

Even after the release of corona virus vaccine, it would take quite a time in the distribution of the vaccine in UK, US and all over the world. So, the industry of travel and tourism may take years to fully rebound. 

Top Travel Considerations

Travel amid the pandemic is nothing less than a challenge. You can’t take the risk of leaving your place just to have some fun out there. Travel only when you have no other choice.

Keep It Simple

Take a trip that is door-to-door and direct if possible, avoid a lot of different means of transfers or transportation. For example, traveling by car during COVID-19 will likely be the safest, so look for destinations within driving distance. If you plan to fly, book that a nonstop flight reservation as it is safer than one with layovers, because of fewer chances of being exposed to the virus.

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FLIGHT RESERVATIONS

Where you are traveling?

It is best to know the transmission rate of the territory you are going to visit. If you are traveling to the state with higher transmission rate, avoid going in the first place. If you can’t help that, you must avoid shared spaces like public restrooms, hotels and restaurants. These are the spots where one is more likely to get exposed to Corona virus.

Mode of Transportation

Not every mode of transportation is equally risky. Air travel is the riskiest mode of travel by far. Airports are the most high-risk areas because they have so many people, belonging to different countries at a single place. When boarded on a plane, the traveler must follow the safety protocols like wearing facemasks, to sit 6 feet apart and surety of neat and sanitized surface.

What to Know About Flying

All airlines have now adjusted to live in Covid reality and put all measures in place to allow social distancing when possible, enforces face mask usage, and provides good access to hand sanitizers. Airborne transmission of germs and virus is rare as compared to outdoors. However, there is a chance of coronavirus transmission due to difficulty with social distancing on the plane.

Traveling to the airport during widespread of Covid is risky, specially at every stage like check-In, security checks, baggage retrieval and boarding. Travelers should take every precaution for every step of travel during the journey.

Where to stay

Avoid staying at public places like hotels as they have shared environment that adds more to the risk of infection. So, we recommend you to come up with the safest lodging option to lower the risk of catching up the virus.  

Stay Outside Wherever possible

Staying outside is the best way to prevent from virus as the air is moving and risk of transmission is low. Experiencing nature is beautiful and also can recharge your energy levels. Take a bike ride, a day hike in the hills or mountains, walk along the beach as they carry very low risk.

Road Trip Tips

  • Have Hand sanitizers and wipes on you at all times
  • Get your snacks and own drinks to stand in line
  • Wear a mask when you are close to others
  • Travel during off-peak time. Don’t start on Friday, when public rest stops will be more crowded

Activities not to follow

Do not get into the activities that put you within 6 feet to the people in your surroundings. Avoid being a part of the enclosed spaces like concerts, museums and other public events. So, maintaining the safest distance should be the top priority.

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Strategies to follow for safe travel

Hand washing practice

Do not forget to wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, right after visiting some public place. If water and soap is not available, use hand sanitizer to clean your hands.

Wear a facemask

Being masked is the best option to stay protected against germs and respiratory droplets. Use a medical facemask in a way that it covers your nose and mouth well.

Do not touch your eyes, nose and mouth

While you are traveling, make sure you are not touching your eyes, nose or mouth with dirty hands.

Physical distancing

Droplets containing corona virus can easily travel through air and reach you. When you practice physical distancing, you are actually reducing the chance of getting infected. 

Sum Up:

COVID-19 is an all new virus that can leave the affected vulnerable to developing many serious illnesses especially in those who are more than 60. In this time, when we are hearing a lot about coronavirus vaccine, not to travel at all cannot be the final verdict. You can travel safely if you follow the guidelines given by CDC and your local health officials. And if you cannot, you must stay home.