Coronavirus - What to know for traveling
You cannot turn on the news without hearing about the Coronavirus COVID-19 and the startling spread of this new disease, now declared a pandemic. Many western countries are now in full lockdown with serious travel restrictions in place. Many airlines have cancelled all international flights.
Your safety and well-being is a top priority for us, and we wanted you to know that we are continually tracking the situation in the areas that we visit and how it could affect our expeditions. Many countries, including the USA and Australia are now in serious lockdown with travel restrictions. We will continue to check the Travel and Health Advice and Information given by the relevant Government and Health Agencies like the WHO and CDC.
Government and Health agencies like the ones listed below are constantly updating their travel advice based on the latest reliable information.
CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL & PREVENTION
The CDC has a coronavirus information hub on its website.
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
In the WHO’s dedicated section you’ll find user-friendly, easy-to-digest tools, including a video explaining what we know about the virus, an FAQ of the most common questions, how to wear a mask and a mythbusters page, as well as more specific information about global research, WHO’s travel advice, situation reports, and the latest news.
Many airlines have cut most of their international and domestic flights and have clearly marked alerts right on their website homepage. They usually outline travel restrictions and affected routes, plus how they’re handling flight changes, cancellations, and fees (frequently waived). Check with your airline to get information specific to your travels.
When travelling, you may be subject to additional screening procedures and restrictions at airports. At the moment this mainly involves having your temperature checked when you walk through terminals, so allow for extra travel time as this may cause delays. Immigration restrictions are starting to be put in place, so check with your destination country’s immigration department to confirm you’ll be permitted to enter the country.
If you’re thinking about cancelling, the best advice we can give here is, assuming you took out travel insurance, talk to your insurer. Travel insurance generally only covers unforeseen events: most insurers classified COVID-19 as a ‘known event’ between 21 and 31 January. Which means that if you booked before that, you may still be covered; if you booked after 31 January, it’s unlikely you’ll be covered. Many policies have a specific clause stating they don’t cover epidemics, pandemics and infectious diseases, so even if you took out insurance early and booked months ago, you most likely won’t be covered.
If you aren’t covered and you still decide to travel, it’s important to know the risks. It’s unlikely you’ll get any cover for anything related to COVID-19 like medical expenses, rebooked flights and pretty much anything else you can think of will all be coming out of your pocket.
As per our standard, we will contact you at least five weeks before the expedition departure date with a final email that will include any issues of health, safety, and security that you should be aware of for the specific destination. If we discover anything that stands out for the areas on your itinerary before our usual notification, we will inform you immediately. We sincerely hope that things will settle down soon and wish you good health.
What do you know about the novel Coronavirus that is causing a health emergency?
WATCH: Emerging respiratory virus Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 - Methods for detection, prevention, response and control.
BEST HYGIENE PRACTICES
The CDC highly recommends best hygiene practices to ensure personal safety.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces (in particular door handles at bathrooms and airplane table) using antibacterial wipes or hand sanitizer with at least 60%-95% alcohol.
FACEMASKS
CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.
Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).
On a personal note, Thomas will be wearing a facemask when travelling, as he personally believes there is a lesser chance of contamination in a situation where he’s in close contact with many people, including sitting next to someone on a plane, and in high volume areas like airports, queuing and on airplanes. At the end of the day, this is your call.
CDC RECOMMENDATION FOR SAFE FACEMASK USE
Before putting on a mask, clean hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
Cover mouth and nose with mask and make sure there are no gaps between your face and the mask.
Avoid touching the mask while using it; if you do, clean your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
Replace the mask with a new one as soon as it is damp and do not re-use single-use masks.
To remove the mask: remove it from behind (do not touch the front of mask); discard immediately in a closed bin; clean hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
HAND WASHING
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. It is especially important to clean hands after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose.
If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60%-95% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
Supplies of hand sanitizer, tissues, and other hygiene products may be limited, so bring them with you.
CDC Hand washing guidelines: https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/
PHOTO CREDIT © Adobe Stock, BBC News