Travel in the COVID-Era

If you decide to travel anyway, you must understand that you are accepting an additional (but variable) degree of risk for contracting (and thereby spreading) COVID-19. You should keep safety in mind every step of the way.

Before you go anywhere, you should think about exactly where you are planning to go, how you will get there, who you will be around, and what you will do during your stay. Understand that any aspect of your travel that impedes your ability to remain a minimum of 6 feet away from others, wear a mask, and frequently wash your hands will consequently increase your risk for infection. Understand, that family and friends may be contagious carriers of COVID-19 even if they feel and appear perfectly healthy and have had no known exposures. Unless a person (and every other individual living in that person’s household) has undergone a strict quarantine for 14 full days with absolutely no contact with the outside world, it is impossible to determine and reckless to assume that that person does not have active COVID-19.

Below are some COVID-19-mitigating travel tips that may help you in your planning.

• Travel by car rather than airplane, when possible.

• Renting a house, condo, or apartment may be safer than staying in a hotel.

• Call ahead and learn about cleaning procedures and other COVID-19 prevention practices employed at the accommodation of your choice.

• Spend as much vacation time as possible outdoors, from recreation to dining.

• Avoid crowds and indoor, poorly ventilated spaces.

• Strictly limit the number of people that you expect to come into contact with.