Tips for Travelling Safely Post-Covid
The coronavirus pandemic has halted almost every aspect of everyday life. From not being allowed to leave the house for social gatherings to having to work at home until the vaccine rollout is complete, for the last year and a bit, we’ve all had to adjust our lives and re-think how we do things, including travel.
Now the vaccine rollout is underway in most countries and the pandemic is beginning to subside, normal life is slowly starting to return and that means travel is once again on the cards (or at least it will be in the near future).
Understandably, there is some apprehension surrounding going back to life as it was pre-pandemic, with most of us looking to take extra precautions to keep ourselves and those around us safe and healthy. In terms of travel there is much to be considered. Here are some tips on how you can stay safe whilst travelling, be it via airplane, bus, taxi or train.
- Health Check
Before you set foot on public transport, assess your health. If you have a contagious illness such as strep or a stomach bug, it’s best you don’t travel, both for your own sake and also the sake of those around you who you might come into contact with. Whilst the air in vehicles like airplanes is as clean as the air in hospitals, your heath largely comes down to the person you’re sat next to. Think about how you would feel if someone were to be sat next to you with an airborne illness and then think about if it’s fair to put someone else through that if you’re the contagious one.
- Personal Hygiene
Provided you’re in good health, it’s best practice to engage in personal hygiene. This is something you should be doing regularly anyway, but when travelling it’s a good idea to step it up a little. This means ensuring you’re carrying hand sanitizer at all times and using it before you touch your face or eat. You should also look to cleanse your hands after touching public surfaces like stair rails, lift buttons, ATMs and touchscreen order boards.
- Vaccines
A lot of countries require foreigners to have vaccines before they enter the country. You will find it hard to enter certain countries without the right vaccines, so before you turn up at the airport, make sure you’re all stocked up on your vaccines. Whether it’s the MMR jab or a Hepatitis vaccine, make an appointment well in advance of travelling at the doctors to ensure your body has all the protection you need.
- Travel Insurance
Sometimes, no matter how much preparation you do for a trip, you won’t be able to account for everything. Accidents happen and things go wrong, so it’s essential that you have good travel insurance in place. Look for comprehensive coverage that includes all the hospital treatments you might need. The cheapest option often isn’t the most comprehensive and will incur a high excess, and depending on the illness, it might be cheaper for you to pay for the treatment than to pay the excess. Make sure you think about this before you choose a travel insurance policy.
Summary
Before you travel, make sure you check local travel lists to ensure it’s safe to do so and be prepared for a late cancellation. As long as you keep yourself clean, are mindful of others around you and have an effective insurance policy in case anything goes wrong, there’s no reason why you can’t travel safely this summer.
We hope these tips have helped!
