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Traveling Tips To The USA During COVID-19

Traveling is a lively activity and is often close to the heart of many individuals. But, the severe outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has left people in a distressing state, and limited all traveling activities.

By: Emily Green + Save to a List

By now, we’re well versed in the recommendations to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. They’re similar everywhere: keep your distance from others, wear a mask in public, and wash your hands as often as possible.

But if you need to travel, there are other stresses you’ll need to know about. Especially, if you’re coming to the United States where the total number of cases is over 4.5 million with more than 2.5 million active cases (as of Jul 30). While making the journey in the middle of a global pandemic isn't the best time to do it, for some, it's unavoidable.

Whether it’s to visit a sick relative, attend a funeral, or show up for an employment assignment, if you need to make the trip to the USA, following these tips will help lessen your travel stress and reduce your risk of exposure.

1. Get ESTA Approval or VISA

As of March 11, 2020 a ban was put on entry to the United States for foreign nationals who have been in China, Iran, and most of Europe within 14 days of entering the US. However, there are exceptions to this, namely for diplomats, legal permanent residents, and family members of citizens. If you fall into the exceptions, you'll still need to get ESTA approval or the appropriate VISA.

2. Book your tickets for the right airport, and find out if you’ll need to quarantine

Once you have approval to enter the country, you'll want to find out if you'll need to quarantine. If you're coming from one of the countries listed above, you're required to travel through one of 13 international airports with increased medical screenings. You'll also be expected to home-quarantine for 14 days once you've arrived at your destination.

If you're coming from elsewhere, you may still need to self-isolate, depending on where you're headed. Some states are requiring a 14-day quarantine for both domestic and international travelers. You can check with the Centers for Disease Control for relevant information about your destination.

3. Get tested, if needed

If you're unable to take a direct flight to the US, you may need to be tested for COVID-19 before starting your travels. Some countries (such as China) will not allow passage through their airports without negative test results. In most cases, the test should be within 14 days of travel, but in many instances the negative results should be no less than a week old. You’ll want to look up the guidelines for every country you’re passing through, and plan accordingly.

4. Pick safe accommodation

The World Health Organization has provided extensive guidelines for the accommodation sector. The big ones include the instillation of non-porous barriers at the reception desk, a need for staff to wear masks, and a 24 hour wait period before allowing another guest to stay in the same quarters.

Airbnb took things a step further with their Enhanced Cleaning Initiative and a 72 hour buffer window between bookings if the host cannot meet the requirements. However, these are simply guidelines. There are no laws requiring this, so it's a good idea to call or check the website to see what the proprietor is doing to prevent their patrons from getting sick.

5. Follow airport safety guidelines

“You mean airplane safety, right? Surely, being squeezed into a tin can with 100 other people is where I’m most likely to catch something.”

Actually, according to Joe Allen, assistant professor and director of the Healthy Buildings Program at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, “Many people think they get sick on an airplane, but the reality is that the air quality on airplanes is actually really good–high amounts of clean outdoor air and all recirculated air passes through a HEPA filter.”

Basically, if you’re going to get sick from air travel, it’s most likely going to happen because of being inside the airport.

To minimize risk, many airports are requiring face masks in the airport, airlines are requiring masks to board flights, and passengers are often asked to submit to temperature checks (not all airports are doing this). If you’re found to have a fever of 38°C (100.4°F) or higher, you won’t be allowed on the flight.

Also keep in mind that with reduced flight loads, many airports close for entry over night. I know this from learning the hard way. It’s a good idea to look up the operating hours of your outgoing airport so that you don’t get stuck sitting outside all night.

One last thing for good measure:

If you’ve somehow missed the guidelines for preventing spread of the virus on a day-to-day basis, I recommend reviewing the CDC’s recommended safety guidelines.

But please, only travel if you must.

We want to acknowledge and thank the past, present, and future generations of all Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples whose ancestral lands we travel, explore, and play on. Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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