In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone is doing their best to stay healthy and cope with the current situation. One of the biggest things that changed is that there are fewer people outside and fewer people are traveling. As places are slowly starting to open back up, new travel restrictions and procedures have been put in place to help areas maintain health and safety. So if you are one of these people who are traveling right now, possibly on a Hawaii vacation come September 1st, here are the top 8 tips to follow in order for you to travel safely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
1. Check news and updates from your local government before traveling.
Before heading to a certain destination, see to it that you do your research first to know if there are any health warnings that you should know about. Places with high numbers of COVID-19 positive patients are placed on lockdown for the safety of the general public, so as to avoid further transmission of the virus. See to it that you check websites and social media posts from your own as well as your destinations’ local government, health departments, airlines, and other relevant resources to get further information about the safety of your travel.
2. If possible, postpone travel for kids and the elderly.
Seniors and kids, especially those with a weak immune system, should not be permitted to travel. Coronavirus is deadly and can be easily contracted by children and the elderly. To keep them safe, consider excluding them from your travel as much as possible. But if the situation calls for them to travel, see to it that you have the necessary precautions in place to make sure that they don’t contract the virus during the trip.
3. Stay home if you are not feeling well.
Your immune system is down if you are sick. At the same time, if you are showing symptoms that are similar to those of COVID-19, you might want to see a doctor instead to check if you have the virus or not. You wouldn’t want to be a virus carrier and spread the sickness further.
4. Always wear a mask.
Another important practice that you have to adopt anytime you go out of your house is wearing a mask. Scientists have given proof that wearing a mask can help reduce the spread of the virus, which can be expelled through an infected person’s breath, cough, or sneeze. The virus can then enter another person’s system through their eyes, nose, or mouth. This is where face masks can help reduce the spread. By combining your mask-wearing with following social distancing protocols and washing hands, you can help reduce virus contraction and spread during your travel.
5. Bring hand sanitizer, tissue and disinfectant wipes with you.
Keeping your hands clean is key to staying safe from the virus. You can’t always avoid touching some surfaces outside your house during your travel, so one thing that you can do to avoid contracting the virus from touching contact surfaces is by bringing a hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes with you. You should also bring some tissue so that anytime you’ll need to cough or sneeze, you’ll have something ready as a cover.
6. Wash your hands properly and regularly
According to research, the coronavirus can live on metal, wood, or plastic surfaces for 2 to 4 days. The length of their life on different surfaces will vary, and this is why you should see to it that you keep yourself safe from carrying and inhaling these viruses. Anytime you’ve touched any contact surfaces such as doorknobs or handles, faucets, elevator or ATM buttons, railings, and others, see to it that you wash your hands properly with soap and water to get rid of the virus that may have accumulated on your hands.
7. Sanitize contact surfaces in case you can’t avoid holding them.
Another thing that you can do to avoid contracting coronavirus is by cleaning the surfaces you’ll have contact with. You can bring with you some disinfectant spray and spray any contract surfaces that you will need to touch.
8. Follow social distancing protocols.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention advises the general public to keep a safe distance from other people so as to help control the spread of the virus. Limiting your face-to-face contact with other people and staying at least 6 feet away from them can help you avoid contracting the virus from other people and vice versa.
By following these travel safety steps, you can help reduce the chances of contracting and spreading COVID-19 during your trip. And on top of all these safety tips, Kahana Village has also increased our already high level of cleaning protocols to help keep both our staff and guests safe. As our extended ohana, we truly value your health along with your safety and maintain it as one of our biggest priorities!
