The global pandemic has been upon us all year long and has essentially disrupted our lives. Everything from home, work, and personal life have been altered and we are finding us constantly adjusting and realigning to this ‘new’ way of living.
It is now second nature to us to step out with a mask and a face shield, using hand sanitizer often, avoiding public places or key contact points, maintaining social distance, body temperature screening is to be done at every entrance point be it a mall, transportations or shops, etc.
It is vital to maintain all these precautions since they help in curbing the spread of the virus, nevertheless, there are some things that are unavoidable such as traveling for work, business, or seeing a loved one or a sick relative.
We are about to discuss in detail the steps and precautions that one needs to take in order to travel in the time of a Global Pandemic.
Traveling in a Bus/Metro/Railways
It is common for people to take a bus or a metro to reach places before the pandemic, however, the scenario of road & rail transportation has changed since then. In buses, metros, or any railway transport system, the proximity of one user to the other is high, and therefore this can cause the spread of the virus.
Board a bus or a train for your travel requirement only if you have no other alternative. Make sure that the bus service that you are using ticks off the following points in this checklist:
- Takes all safety precautions such as timely sanitization of all seats and touchpoints
- Body Temperature Screening of all passengers
- Mandates the use of N95 mask or similar and/or face shields
- Follows some sort of social distancing measure between users
- Has minimal contact at the ticketing service
- Has hand sanitizer available at entries and exits
- Makes sure that there are no more than the number of people that can be seated whilst maintaining social distancing
Traveling in an Airplane
In comparison to the travel in a bus or metro, airports and airplanes can be safer as there are mandatory laws in place to make sure each and every flyer goes through stringent checks before leaving one state/city/country and arrives at another.
Airways have to make sure that they are not transporting a sick flyer to another country and thereby increase the risk of infection for the fellow passengers as well as the place he arrives at.
Although in terms of proximity inside the plane between one another, it is still a risk to fly and therefore do so only when there is no other alternative. When flying, make sure you follow these steps:
- Before undertaking the trip, get a corona test done and make sure that you are in no case or form, a danger to fellow passengers
- For your own safety, make sure that you are layered with protective clothing. You may even choose to wear a PPE if the airways permit
- Always wear an N95 mask and a face shield, which is generally provided by the airways, and do not take them off at any point
- Make sure you do not touch the seats or any such common touchpoints and sanitize your hands from time to time
- Make sure you get another test done after a few days of arrival, just incase
Traveling with high-risk subjects
High-risk subjects refer to children below the age of 12, elderly above the age of 60, and pregnant women. It is quite a challenge to travel in these risky times with high-risk people as they are susceptible to the virus due to their age and health factor.
Before traveling with children, the elderly, or pregnant women, make sure that you absolutely need to do so. The best option to travel with a high-risk person is to take a private vehicle such as a car or an RV. It is much safer to travel privately with minimal stopovers to avoid the risk of contact.
Even while traveling in a car, the AC must be kept to a minimum temperature to avoid the chance of getting a cold. Make sure you do wear your masks even if you belong to the same family while inside the car.
If the travel is to another country or far away states within a country, then you must make sure all the above checkpoints are thoroughly followed. Do not forget to take a corona test before and after the trip to make sure you are on the safe side.
Photo Credit- medium.com