COVID 19 has impaired many industries during its rampage. Tourist spots from all over the country were pushed to a halt. Even most of the food and service industries were shut off and prevented from accepting guests, clients, and customers. Entire economies were shut down in the name of protection. Surges of cases destroyed any sense of growth and hope in the economies of the first world and third world nations.
One of the worst-hit industries is the tourism industry. Millions of flights were canceled in light of travel restrictions from and to hit countries. No airline was spared. Even land travel was restricted by border patrol to help curb the surge rate. A long list of rules and guidelines were placed by the airline companies to its passengers.
Staying at home seems to be the last option for the jet setters. It begs the question for persistent travelers: what are the basic things you must have when traveling during the once-in-a-lifetime pandemic?
Basic Travel Requirements:
First and foremost, before you travel, you must ensure that you have all your basic travel documents with you.
Your passport is still essential for international travel. Passports serve as an identification document and are purposed for traveling abroad. Depending on the nation’s treaties and influence, most passports have the status that exempts them from another country’s visa requirements.
You will also need to have your tickets and other proof of your itinerary to cross border control or customs and immigration. For the purpose of questioning, having your exit ticket and other proof of your itinerary will be helpful in expediting your processing when traveling overseas. When authorities see that you intend to exit their country, coming in shouldn’t be too hard.
Pandemic Papers:
Since the onset of the pandemic, pandemic papers are also required by most countries. These so-called pandemic papers are also known as COVID test results and other authoritative documents declaring the status of your health under penalty and punishment.
The basic health declaration form is now required in every major traveling hub. Even when flying domestically, most airlines also distribute health declaration forms in light of the different measures installed by the federal government. This document is used for contact tracing and holding people accountable for traveling even when feeling some symptoms.
COVID-19 polymerise chain reaction (PCR) test results and quarantine papers are also checked by authorities upon your stay in their country. To freely roam the location, some establishments and local governments are requiring quarantine papers. The document is your proof that you underwent their required quarantine period upon your arrival. A 24 to 48-hour test result is also sometimes required as proof that you have not contracted the virus before traveled.
Basic Protective Equipment:
Alas, basic protective equipment is one of the most commonsensical things you should bring when traveling abroad. Any kind of mask is acceptable for international travel — even the single-use face masks for construction workers and the like.
The mask prevents the spread of the virus by limiting the amount of droplets that you, as a carrier, can spread. These droplets are the transportation mediums of the virus. The droplets hang and glide through the air, landing on surfaces and sometimes inhaled by other people. The numbers suggest that the mask curbs the spread of the virus. In Japan and Korea, two countries where wearing a mask is acceptable, the amount of people victimized by the virus is significantly less than in those countries where masks are deemed merely optional.
Bringing your sanitizer and alcohol sprays is also a requirement when going outside even in a foreign country. After touching a surface or before touching your face, sanitize your hands first.
Traveling abroad nowadays might prove difficult for jet setters. However, by being prepared and compliant with international rules and regulations, international travel might become less of a hassle than how it normally would even in this time of crisis.