As Pandemic Restrictions are Relaxed, Everyone Wants to Get Out Again

After a year of COVID confinement, many people are getting antsy to get away and back on the road this summer.

Many families are planning to travel and enjoy the great outdoors, so many that travel planners and vacation destinations are seeing a surge in interest.

If you’re planning to get away on a camping trip or a flight to see someone you haven’t had a chance to visit for over a year, be aware that you need to make your plans now! Campsites, hotels, and airlines are booking up earlier than normal, and you could find yourself with no room at the inn.

“People are definitely making plans,” says travel planner Susan Moynihan of The Honeymoonist/Largay Travel. “There are two segments: a smaller group of people who are sick of being stuck at home and are traveling both domestically and internationally despite the complications, and a larger group of people who are waiting on a vaccine to travel, especially internationally. That first group has always been there, but it’s getting bigger, and people aren’t hiding their travels as much.”

The vaccine rollout and the emerging variants are complicating the issue, and even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has advised people to stay home to prevent the spread, many families are tired of being cooped up and are planning their get-aways.

Travel With Precautions

If you are one of those who just can’t do another stay-cation this year, there are precautions that you can take to keep yourself and your loved ones safer.

“We just don’t know yet—there are lot of moving pieces because of the variants that are continuing to emerge. And because we fully don’t know the impact of the vaccines, we can’t safely say how people will be impacted if they travel,” says Anita Gupta, DO, MPP, PharmD, assistant professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins University.

Get Vaccinated

While it was difficult to get vaccinated in the early vaccine rollout, now demand has slowed and there are more opportunities to get the vaccine.

In addition, there are three approved vaccines available now, including a one-shot product, so it’s much easier to schedule an appointment.

Even with the emerging variants, the existing vaccines have been shown to be effective. If you are planning to get away internationally, proof of vaccination may be required by some countries.

Take a Road Trip

The safest way to travel is by automobile. Public modes of transportation, such as planes or trains, recirculate the air you breathe, which is how the virus is spread. If you’re in a car you don’t have that worry.

When you make a stop, remember to “mask up” and keep your distance from others.

Stay in the Country

There are lots to see and do in the USA, and currently the pandemic hospitalizations and deaths have decreased. With warmer weather, most experts feel that the infection rates will continue to decline.

Other countries have seen a catastrophic increase in the pandemic, while in quite a few other cases are on the rise. With drastic increases in infection rates, the virus has a greater chance to develop into new variants, which the current vaccines aren’t as effective against.

Wherever you roam this summer, pack your mask and hand sanitizer, and maintain social distancing. If people don’t, the virus has a way of causing lots of problems.

You should also make sure your auto insurance is up to date. Get a free quote at https://sav-on.com/auto-insurance/

Source: RealSimple.com