Travel During the COVID-19 Holiday Season

Travel During the COVID-19 Holiday Season

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve are coming up fast, but like everything else during 2020, holiday cheer is going to look a bit different than normal as it intersects with the current coronavirus pandemic. 

Many are wondering if it is safe to visit friends or family- if they should take a car, a plane, a bus? Should they travel at all? Is it worth it? The answers to these questions are individual choices. Having said that, according to Johns Hopkins University, over 250,000 people have now died from COVID-19 in the US and over 11.5 million people have been diagnosed. As a result, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its COVID-19-related holiday guidance. 

Celebrating Thanksgiving by staying home is the safest option this year. No matter how small the gathering, if it is being held with people outside of your immediate family household, see that everyone involved quarantines for 14 days before arriving. Even after quarantining, it is important to remember that 40% of all COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic and you still may be a carrier.  

Before you Travel, some more tips for as also given some more tips for potential travelers and on protecting yourself and others during the holidays: 

• Your family’s health and health conditions come first. Check to see if your family members are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 and if so, see that you are thoroughly protecting yourself from those in high-risk groups avoiding high-risk activities.
• Assess risk for infection based on the method of transportation you or your guests will be taking, as public transportation and ridesharing increase your chances of being exposed to contracting the virus. 
• Check the COVID restrict actions, and transmission rate of the area that you are planning to visit by checking each state’s cases in the last 7 days in addition to state, territorial, tribal public health websites for information.
• Get a COVID test before you are on your way, and do it as close to the date of travel as possible. However, this is not a foolproof method to stop the spread.
• If you are considering staying in a hotel or unfamiliar lodging, thoroughly clean, and disinfect your surroundings with  EPA-approved disinfectants.
• Consider preparing the meal ahead of time, delivering it to your friends and family, and sharing the meal virtually. 

Although the CDC has recommended against flying during COVID-19, they have provided travel recommendations for destinations around the world for people that are. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has also released some tips on how to stay safe while flying. 

In short, they are: 

1. Always wear your mask, and pack extras.
2. Practice social distancing.
3. Check what foods you can and can’t carry with you on the plane.
4. Download the myTSA App, and check-in with TSA early, before your flight.
5. Enroll in TSA PreCheck, as this streamlines the security process and reduces touchpoints.
6. If possible, cut down the time window of the gathering. For example, instead of a 6-hour celebration, cut it down to 2 or 3 hours.
7. Hold the gathering outside, or open the windows.