How to Travel and Stay Safe During the COVID Holidays

If you’re thinking of taking a trip to see family during this holiday season, it’s important to remember to stay safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Spending time with your family is important, but so is protecting them from possibly contracting this scary disease by keeping yourself safe first. Read on for tips about how to stay safe during holiday travel.

Prepare for Holiday Travel During the Pandemic

Before planning your holiday travel, ask yourself a few questions: Do you have any family members who are high-risk for the coronavirus? Have you had symptoms or been near someone who has had symptoms in the past 14 days? How do you plan on traveling? It’s important to keep these things in mind so that you can choose the safest way to celebrate the holidays – or decide if the best thing to do is to celebrate virtually this year with a family Zoom call.

When you’re packing for your trip, remember to bring a few extra things: plenty of hand sanitizer, some disinfecting wipes, and face coverings that properly and effectively cover your nose and mouth. These are instrumental in helping you fend off the coronavirus during your travels.

How to Travel Safely During the COVID-19 Pandemic

There’s no way to travel while remaining 100% safe. Every form of travel increases the chance of being exposed to the coronavirus or exposing others. However, there are ways to reduce your exposure and lessen the likelihood of contracting the virus. By taking the precautions below, you will be helping to keep yourself and others safe if you must travel during this pandemic.

• Get a COVID-19 test before traveling, especially if you have been near anyone experiencing symptoms in the past 14 days. If you test positive, stay home.
• Wear a face covering whenever you are around other people.
• Avoid close contact with others by staying at least 6 feet away whenever possible.
• Use hand sanitizer often, especially after touching objects or other people in public spaces.
• Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose.

Another thing to consider is the time and date of your travel. If you are traveling via airplane, bus, or train, it’s good to go before the holiday rush or rush hour starts, so that you’re less likely to be crammed next to someone else. 

Is It Recommended to Fly During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

There is no official recommendation on whether or not to fly during these times. However, there are recommended precautions for plane travel. Firstly, ask yourself if there is any other way for you to comfortably travel instead of by airplane. While all forms of travel are potentially risky right now, plane travel is the least likely to allow social distancing, and thus poses extra risk. 

Driving to your destination is the best bet, although it’s still important to be careful: since long-distance driving requires stops for bathroom breaks, gas-ups, and pit stops for food, there are still plenty of chances to be exposed. So make sure that you have a mask, hand sanitizer, and disinfecting wipes on hand.

How to Get an Instant COVID Test

A smart thing to do before heading out on a vacation or trip is to get an instant COVID-19 test. At the Dallas and Frisco locations of Blue Star Diagnostics, you can get results from an instant COVID-19 test in just 30 minutes. Getting a negative result will give you the confidence you that, as long as you follow precautions, you won’t pose a risk to any of your family members who may be at risk for this disease. If you don’t live near to Blue Star Diagnostics, there are other places you may be able to get an instant test. 

Remember: the most important thing this holiday season is keeping yourself and your loved ones safe. So schedule an instant COVID test now by calling Blue Star Diagnostics at (469)-656-7999, and remember to mask up, use hand sanitizer, and enjoy your holidays!