How To Stay Safe: Travelling During The Coronavirus Outbreak.
As nationwide businesses and close landmarks are closed to avoid Coronavirus spreading, government and health officials of many countries have urged its citizens to avoid all non-essential domestic travel.
But some people who are classified as essential workers and those trying to get home still face the dangers.
If you face a long road trip during the outbreak, experts would suggest that good precautions and careful preparation help reduce the risk of getting sick both on and off the road.
What Can I Do to Keep Myself Safe From Coronavirus During my Travels?
According to the WHO (World Health Organization), to keep yourself safe if you travel during the COVID-19 outbreak, you have to:
Plan your route
Planning is important now more than ever. Before you leave, map the roads you are going to take and the states you are going to cross and be aware of any relevant travel advisories and outbreaks.
Packing and sanitizing
Pack the basics — drinking water, food, prescribed drugs — and most importantly. sanitizing products to keep clean hands and surfaces. Doctors suggest keeping hand sanitizer, disinfecting wet wipes, disposable gloves, seal-able disposable plastic bags, and tissues.
Effective road hygiene is much like that at home (for example, thoroughly washing hands with soap and water before eating and after using the toilet), but needs extra caution when it comes to high-traffic roadside stops like gas stations and public bathrooms.
Be careful not to touch fixtures such as the faucet or door handle in public toilets after washing your hands, which defeats the purpose of hand-washing (instead, use a piece of tissue or paper towel to cover your hands after washing).
And one more thing. Pay gas with credit cards, not cash. It removes the face-to-face contact needed for a transaction, and after paying with your card it can be kept clean with a disinfectant wipe.
Don’t put unwashed hands on your face.
If you’ve been to a public place, don’t touch your face until you clean your hands thoroughly. The novel Coronavirus can live on surfaces for hours after an infected person has touched it, and can infect you if you touch your mouth, nose and eyes
Keep your distance
If you find anyone is coughing, sneezing, or exhibiting flu-like or cold-like symptoms, be sure to remain at least 2 meter (6 feet) away. Their airborne respiratory (cough or sneeze) droplets may get you contaminated.
Disinfect items that are handled frequently with a spray cleaner or scrub.
Whether you’re staying in a hotel or hostel, when you’re abroad make sure you’re booking somewhere you know it’s going to be safe. And so, checking in with staff and management will not hurt to see if they have thoroughly cleaned your place – or maybe just sweeping the place with a disinfectant onto frequently-touched items.
Avoid crowds – especially in closed spaces.
When you are going to a country with a high number of cases of Coronavirus, it’s best when you stay away from any location where a large number of people are present.
Do your research
Do your research for the country you are visiting about the spread of the Coronavirus outbreak. See what health and government officials in that country are advising, and obey the same rules. If they tell you to stay away from crowds, or any place, you should do the same.
When you experience symptoms, wear a mask and seek medical assistance.
When you experience symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever, coughing or trouble breathing, wear a mask so you don’t risk infecting others and seek medical attention
When can we travel again?
Countries are changing their policies every month, so its good to check the government travel advisories. Feel free to check out this post from my friend a reopening country by country guide for Americans!