The Coronavirus has struck again and struck hard again. A time where every industry had just started to revive from the unprecedented crisis and got a sigh of relief, the sudden spike in the cases of Coronavirus has ruined all of it. Traveling is going to be hit again and going to hit hard. Airlines and hoteliers are already seeing a decline in the number of bookings and a rise in the cancellation of already booked tickets.
The question is, how bad is it going to be for your future travel plans? Do you need to cancel your already planned experiences? Should you postpone your plan to travel?
Increasing cases is a major concern
The first and the obvious problem with traveling right now is going to be the increasing number of cases and the increase in the probability of getting infected by the novel Coronavirus. The fact that India is reporting a record increase in these cases is a major concern for any traveler. Experts say that the 2nd wave of Coronavirus is going to be even bigger than the previous one.
Having flattened the curve at the beginning of the year and the vaccines kicking in, the population had been relaxed and thought of it as an end to the pandemic but as the masks came off and the social distancing disappeared, the infection started spreading without getting a hint of it.
Test for Coronavirus had also reduced all over the nation and restrictions put in place had come off entirely making the mindset of every person lenient over the virus and a very casual attitude over wearing masks and maintaining social distancing.
This increase in cases was bound to happen and many even predicted the same. The question is should we be concerned? Whereas the increase in cases is alarming if a traveler is taking complete precautions and keeping in check with the restrictions in place, there will be no cause to worry to travel. A mask reduces your chances of transmission by 90% and if you’re not in a crowded place then these chances are even further reduced.
Restrictions have been put in place in a lot of states
With the increase in cases and even deaths, most of the states have started implementing some sort of restrictions to keep the unprecedented rise in check. Restrictions such as a mandatory negative test report and the number of people traveling together are the major ones that almost every state has taken into consideration and wearing masks is a must for every person in the state.
A negative RT-PCR test has become mandatory to travel in most of the states creating another panic in a traveler’s mind. Less number of people at a specific place is also being implemented, like fewer gatherings in events, half occupancy in restaurants and public places, and even in public transport. Some states have even implemented full lockdown to break the chain of the cases.
We believe that these restrictions although very important will definitely halt traveling and a traveler should vary of where they are traveling. A traveler found to have symptoms and a positive test will force them to quarantine in the place where they are making it another big problem when traveling.
Shouldn’t the vaccines create an impact on the number of cases?
Vaccinations are the eventual solution to this pandemic but are they really creating an impact right now?
The current vaccinations we have do create an impact for protecting against the virus but each body reacts differently to the vaccine. You need to get 2 doses of the same vaccine a month apart for your body to develop the antibodies and even the development of antibodies takes up to 15 days. The vaccines are also effective for around 6 months and after that, we’ll have to get vaccinated again.
Vaccines are effective and everyone should get vaccinated but the process of developing antibodies and getting everyone vaccinated is a slow and cumbersome process creating a problem and which is why we are seeing such an increase in cases.
How is travel going to be possible now?
Traveling is a big no-no during the current situation with the pandemic. We would recommend everyone to stay home and stay safe for a while till the lockdown is over and cases are reduced to some extent. Traveling with complete precautions, masks, social distancing, and complete use of sanitizer should be done.
After this wave ends(we hope soon too), travel is set to boom. The vaccination drive will kick in and the season to travel will be upon us. The population was already on their heels when it came to traveling before the 2nd wave and many of you already planned travel experiences for the upcoming season and those experiences will happen for sure.
The first wave of Coronavirus was very different from the current one. We have vaccines available now and the medical facilities have improved a lot from the earlier scenario. Staying at homes for a week or so will result in breaking the chain of transmission, making way to vaccinate more people, and for hospitals to be better prepared for any new case, and thus, we will be able to travel again!
For now, stay home to stay safe. Practice social distancing, wear a mask at all times when out or meeting someone new, refrain from touching your face, and wash your hands regularly.
We hope to bring you safe and unique travel experiences in the near future to feed your wanderlust soon!
