Perhaps no aspect of how we lived before the coronavirus pandemic has been affected quite as much as travel. Whether you plan on traveling this holiday season by air, rail, or car, the CDC has issued thorough guidelines to help keep you safe during the holidays. Here is what you need to know.
Regardless of your specific travel plans, wearing masks, avoiding close contact with anyone outside of your household, washing your hands frequently, and refraining from touching your eyes, nose, and mouth are some of the more obvious yet most important recommendations.
For those who will be flying during the holidays, the CDC advises that germs and viruses do not spread easily on flights because of how air circulates and is filtered on airplanes. However, since all travel does increase your chances of infection, it is still important to take precautions.
In addition to the basic safety measures above, the CDC also recommends that you consider how you may be traveling to and from the airport. It is important to know that public transportation and ridesharing can increase your chances of being exposed to the virus. If you must use public transportation, check with local transit authorities for the latest information on changes to services and procedures – especially if you might need additional assistance. If ridesharing is necessary, don’t ride in a vehicle if the driver or other passengers who don’t live with you are not properly wearing face masks. Also, sit as far as possible from the driver, and ask the driver to improve the ventilation in the vehicle if possible – for example, by opening the windows or setting the air ventilation/air conditioning on non-recirculation mode.
If you choose to ride the rails to your holiday destination this year, the CDC recommends limiting touching surfaces such as kiosks, digital interfaces such as touchscreens and fingerprint scanners, ticket machines, turnstiles, handrails, restroom surfaces, elevator buttons, and benches. (If you must touch these surfaces, wash your hands as soon as you can for 20 seconds with soap and water or rub your hands with sanitizer containing 60% alcohol.) And finally, use touchless payment and no-touch trash cans and doors when available, and exchange cash or credit cards by placing them in a receipt tray or on the counter rather than by hand, if possible. (These same precautions should be heeded by those taking the train to and from airports.)
If you opt for the relative safety and comfort of your own vehicle, the CDC still recommends the basic precautions above as well as disinfecting frequently touched surfaces regularly (for example, the steering wheel, gear shift, door frame/handles, windows, radio/temperature dials, and seatbelt buckles). Also, when using parking meters and pay stations, consider using alcohol wipes to disinfect surfaces – or use hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol when finished.
One important final consideration is the current New Jersey incoming travel advisory. Individuals traveling to or returning to New Jersey from states with increasing rates of COVID-19 are advised to self-quarantine for 14 days. This includes travel by train, bus, car, plane and any other method of transportation.
As of Wednesday, November 4th, the following 43 states and U.S. jurisdictions are on the list covered by the New Jersey travel advisory:
- Alabama (added 6/24/20)
- Alaska (re-added 9/1/20)
- Arizona (re-added 10/20/20)
- Arkansas (added 6/24/20)
- California (re-added 10/27/20)
- Colorado (added 9/29/20)
- Florida (added 6/24/20)
- Georgia (added 6/30/20)
- Guam (added 8/25/20)
- Idaho (added 6/30/20)
- Illinois (added 7/28/20)
- Indiana (added 7/21/20)
- Iowa (added 6/30/20)
- Kansas (added 7/7/20)
- Kentucky (added 7/28/20)
- Louisiana (added 6/30/20)
- Maryland (re-added 10/20/20)
- Massachusetts (added 10/27/20)
- Michigan (added 10/13/20)
- Minnesota (re-added 9/22/20)
- Mississippi (added 6/30/20)
- Missouri (added 7/21/20)
- Montana (re-added 9/1/20)
- Nebraska (added 7/21/20)
- Nevada (re-added 9/22/20)
- New Mexico (re-added 10/6/20)
- North Carolina (added 6/24/20)
- North Dakota (added 7/21/20)
- Ohio (re-added 10/13/20)
- Oklahoma (added 7/7/20)
- Oregon (added 11/4/20)
- Puerto Rico (re-added 9/15/20)
- Rhode Island (re-added 9/22/20)
- South Carolina (added 6/24/20)
- South Dakota (added 8/11/20)
- Tennessee (added 6/30/20)
- Texas (added 6/24/20)
- Utah (added 6/24/20)
- Virginia (re-added 10/13/20)
- Washington (re-added 11/4/20)
- West Virginia (added 9/8/20)
- Wisconsin (added 7/14/20)
- Wyoming (added 9/22/20)
Have a safe journey!
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