When we said this year would be different, we never anticipated that we’d spend 2020 dealing with a pandemic. While cases continue to rise, and with the holidays around the corner, there’s one question on everyone’s mind. Can we travel and see family?
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges people not to travel and has posted guidelines on celebrating safely. If staying at home isn’t possible, here are five tips you can use to keep yourself and others safe while traveling for the holidays.
Talk to Your Family About Safety Precautions
Make sure everyone is on the same page with COVID-19 safety precautions and protocols. Find out what everyone’s doing to stay safe. Otherwise, a relative or two may put everyone else’s health in jeopardy. Use the talk to assess the risk level. If your relatives are stubborn, it’s better to celebrate from home.
Get Tested
Another point to discuss with your family is getting tested. If you or someone gets a positive result, isolating prevent further spread. Self-isolating for 14 days and testing before visiting on the holidays can ensure everyone’s peace of mind.
However, negative tests don’t mean you can let your hair down. Stick to the procedure by practicing thorough hygiene and social distancing to minimize the risks.
Take Private Transportation
Driving is the best mode of transportation: it gets you from point A to point B, limits contact with others, and you can stock it with essentials such as hand sanitizer, water, and snacks. Take your vehicle or secure a rental for the holidays.
Before you check out the offer here, do a headcount of how many of your household members are going with you. Another option (although less safe) is ridesharing for shorter distances or to an airport. If you have to take a Lyft or an Uber, wear your mask and open the car’s window for ventilation to lower the risk of spread.
Avoid Hotspots
COVID-19 hotspots are described as areas with higher numbers of reported cases. It’s advised to stay away from large metropolitan cities and crowded public spaces whenever possible.
Hotspots also apply to businesses and locations known to have a high infection rate, such as restaurants, supermarkets, bars, and gyms. If your holiday events take place in public areas, it’s better to stay home.
Read Also: Covid Safety Precautions
Plan For Self-Isolation
Once you return from your trip, you need to self-isolate again for 14 days to prevent further transmission. If you catch COVID-19, you may be asymptomatic, meaning you do not show any symptoms.
If you fall ill or receive a positive test result during your 14-day self-isolation, call and alert everyone you interacted with during the trip. When you factor in the time of isolating before and after your travel, you face almost a month’s worth of self-isolation. It may discourage you and many travelers from leaving for the holidays.
If You Have to Travel, Do It Safely
Follow the CDC guidelines to ensure that you’re not putting yourself and others in danger while traveling during the pandemic. Keep in mind that the best way to avoid spreading COVID-19 is by staying home and finding new ways to connect with your loved ones this year.
