Holiday Travel during the COVID-19 Pandemic
As we get closer to Thanksgiving and the rest of the holiday season, the big question for most Americans is whether or not to travel to spend time with family and friends during the holidays. It’s been just over seven months since the first confirmed coronavirus cases here in Ohio, and since then, travel has been down across the country.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the COVID risk when it comes to air travel isn’t the airflow in the plane, but rather the inability to socially distance, as well as the time spent in crowded airport lines. If you’re concerned about being too close to people on a plane, some airlines are still holding off on selling middle seats for the time being, and most major airlines are still requiring face coverings.
You can get COVID-19 during your travels. You may feel well and not have any symptoms, but you can still spread COVID-19 to others. You and your travel companions (including children) may spread COVID-19 to other people including your family, friends, and community for 14 days after you were exposed to the virus.
Don’t travel if you are sick or if you have been around someone with COVID-19 in the past 14 days. Don’t travel with someone who is sick.
Before you travel, consider the following:
• Is COVID-19 spreading at your destination?
The more cases at your destination, the more likely you are to get infected during travel and spread the virus to others when you return.• Check Each State’s Cases in the Last 7 Days• Travel Recommendations for Destinations Around the World• Do you live with someone who might be at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19?
If you get infected while traveling, you can spread the virus to loved ones when you return, even if you don’t have symptoms.• Are you at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19?
Anyone can get very ill from the virus that causes COVID-19, but older adults and people of any age with certain underlying medical conditions are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.• Does your destination have requirements or restrictions for travelers?
Some state, local, and territorial governments have requirements, such as requiring people to wear masks and requiring those who recently traveled to stay home for up to 14 days. Check state, territorial, tribal and local public health websites for information before you travel. If you are traveling internationally, check the destination’s Office of Foreign Affairs or Ministry of Health or the US Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Country Information page for details about entry requirements and restrictions for arriving travelers, such as mandatory testing or quarantine.
Travel and Overnight Stays
If you decide to travel, follow these safety measures during your trip to protect yourself and others from COVID-19:
• Wear a mask in public settings, like on public and mass transportation, at events and gatherings, and anywhere you will be around other people.• Avoid close contact by staying at least 6 feet apart (about 2 arm lengths) from anyone who is not from your household.• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol).• Avoid contact with anyone who is sick.• Avoid touching your face mask, eyes, nose, and mouth.
Considerations for Types of Travel
Travel increases your chances of getting and spreading COVID-19. Your chances of getting COVID-19 while traveling also depend on whether you and those around you take steps to protect yourself and others, such as wearing masks and staying 6 feet away from people outside your household (social distancing). Airports, bus stations, train stations, and rest stops are all places travelers can be exposed to the virus in the air and on surfaces. These are also places where it can be hard to social distance. In general, the longer you are around a person with COVID-19, the more likely you are to get infected.
Air travel
Air travel requires spending time in security lines and airport terminals, which can bring you in close contact with other people and frequently touched surfaces. Most viruses and other germs do not spread easily on flights because of how air circulates and is filtered on airplanes. However, social distancing is difficult on crowded flights, and sitting within 6 feet of others, sometimes for hours, may increase your risk of getting COVID-19.
Also consider how you get to and from the airport, as public transportation and ridesharing can increase your chances of being exposed to the virus.
Bus or train travel
Traveling on buses and trains for any length of time can involve sitting or standing within 6 feet of others, which may increase your risk of getting COVID-19. If you choose to travel by bus or train, learn what you can do to protect yourself on public transportation.
Car travel
Making stops along the way for gas, food, or bathroom breaks can put you and your traveling companions in close contact with other people and frequently-touched surfaces.
RV travel
You may have to stop less often for food or bathroom breaks, but RV travel usually means staying at RV parks overnight and getting gas and supplies at other public places. These stops may put you and those with you in the RV in close contact with others.
Tips to avoid getting and spreading COVID-19 in common travel situations:
In public:
• Wear a mask in public settings, including on public transportation and in transportation hubs such as airports and stations.• Stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arms’ length) from anyone who is not from your household.
Bathrooms and rest stops:
• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after using the bathroom and after you have been in a public place.• If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
Getting gas:
• Use disinfecting wipes on handles and buttons at the gas pumps before you touch them (if available).• After fueling, use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. When you get to your destination, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Hotels and accommodations:
• See advice for traveling overnight.
Food stops:
• The safest option is to bring your own food. If you don’t bring your own food, use drive-through, delivery, take-out, and curb-side pick-up options.
Anticipate Your Travel Needs
• Bring a mask to wear in public places and on public transportation.• Pack hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Keep this within reach.• Bring enough of your medicine to last you for the entire trip.• Pack food and water in case restaurants and stores are closed, or if drive-through, take-out, and outdoor-dining options aren’t available.• If you are considering cleaning your travel lodgings, see CDC’s guidance on how to clean and disinfect.
Check Travel Restrictions
State, local, and territorial governments may have travel restrictions in place, including testing requirements, stay-at-home orders, and quarantine requirements upon arrival. Follow state, local, and territorial travel restrictions. For up-to-date information and travel guidance, check the state, territorial, tribal and local health department where you are, along your route, and where you are going. Prepare to be flexible during your trip as restrictions and policies may change during your travel.
If traveling internationally or across international borders, check with the destination’s Office of Foreign Affairs or Ministry of Health or the US Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Country Information page for details about entry requirements and restrictions for arriving travelers, such as mandatory testing or quarantine. Local policies at your destination may require you to be tested for COVID-19 before you are allowed to enter the country. If you test positive on arrival, you may be required to isolate for a period of time. You may even be prevented from returning to the United States, as scheduled.
After You Travel
You may have been exposed to COVID-19 on your travels. You may feel well and not have any symptoms, but you can be contagious without symptoms and spread the virus to others. You and your travel companions (including children) pose a risk to your family, friends, and community for 14 days after you were exposed to the virus. Regardless of where you traveled or what you did during your trip, take these actions to protect others from getting sick after you return:
• When around others, stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arms’ length) from other people who are not from your household. It is important to do this everywhere, both indoors and outdoors.• Wear a mask to keep your nose and mouth covered when you are outside of your home.• Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol).• Watch your health and look for symptoms of COVID-19. Take your temperature if you feel sick.
Follow state, territorial, tribal and local recommendations or requirements after travel.
Ohio Department of Health Guidelines
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) requires those entering Ohio after travel to states reporting positive testing rates of 15% or higher for COVID-19 are advised to self-quarantine for 14 days. Positivity rate is an indicator of how much COVID-19 there is in a community, and ODH is recommending against travel to those states with high positivity. If someone must travel, ODH is recommending 14 days of self-quarantine after leaving those locations.
The positivity rates come from state-level aggregate data from The COVID Tracking Project (https://covidtracking.com/data), which is also the source that Johns Hopkins University uses for testing data on their dashboard at https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/individual-states. Positivity information for Ohio’s Travel Advisory is updated once a week on Wednesdays, using data from that Tuesday. ODH is recommending anyone who wishes to travel to check the travel advisory before traveling.
For answers to your COVID-19 questions, call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634).