COVID-19
Travel Guide

How COVID-19 Pandemic Can Change Your Travel Plans for 2020

With the outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), everything across the world has come to a standstill. The fear of the virus has overpowered human intelligence, and it has caused havoc in the routine for all. Affecting 183 countries globally, leaving more than 7,50,000 infected this disease has become one of the severe challenges. The death toll has raised to more than 35,000.

Amongst the infected people, approximately 1,50,000 have recovered. With the virus outbreak, everyone is getting to witness the days beyond its imagination. There has been a situation of lockdown throughout the world. Hence, there are a lot of health recommendations by WHO.

Well, because of the COVID-19 outbreak, there has been a lot of downfall in the global economy, share prices are collapsing, and all the industries are facing wrath. Amongst all the other industries and business, travel and tourism are the most affected sectors.

It’s high time that we understand a little more in-depth about the coronavirus and the coronavirus fears. In this travel guide for coronavirus, we have elaborated on the details of the impact of coronavirus on travel plans.

Origin of Coronavirus

The virus first emerged out of the Wuhan city in China. Known for its wet markets, it is believed that the host of coronavirus are bats. However, there are a lot of studies happening to find out the root cause of the outbreak. This virus is called SARS-CoV-2 and it has led to one of the most dreadful pandemics the world has witnessed.

The virus is known to infect only human-beings and spreads through the air droplets when an infected person sneezes or coughs. The coronavirus fears are pretty high because there is no vaccination or medicine for this disease as yet. Scientists are conducting several at various labs globally, but there is no luck as yet.

People who visited parts of China and returned to their homes during December to January started suffering from a strange respiratory disorders like pneumonia. There were a lot of infected people in parts of China by then, and they became the carriers of the novel COVID-19 pandemic.

There are a lot of measures that the WHO is taking to break the chain of COVID-19. Declaring it as a pandemic, the WHO has been publishing several steps that you can take to prevent the virus. After Cholera, Plague, HIV-AIDS, and Nepah, COVID-19 has been declared as a pandemic because it spreads quickly and also does not have a medicine yet. All the countries have taken several steps to check the virus as much as possible, but the death tolls are increasing day by day.

Travel during COVID-19 outbreak

You must understand that almost all the countries have closed the borders for international travelers. Hence, reading the travel guide for coronavirus is mandatory, as it would help you to understand why you must not travel now.

Some of the countries have also canceled the Visas for everyone, and the residents have to stay at home. Some states are on complete lockdown to curb the infection. China, Italy, Spain, Italy, Germany, parts of the UK has experienced a lot of infected cases and deaths so far.

Let us quickly take a look at the measures that one has to take while traveling:

  • The first and foremost thing is to avoid traveling to international destinations as much as possible.
  • Unless and until you have a pressing concern, traveling during the situation is certainly not recommended, even inter-state.
  • One has to follow the measures, steps, and instructions laid by the government bodies strictly. These tips during the trip would certainly be helpful.
  • One should also understand their responsibility as a citizen and help themselves and others in breaking the chain of COVID-19
  • Using tissue papers and covering nose while sneezing and discarding the tissue into a dust-bin that has a lid.
  • Should try to stay indoors as much as possible if you have running nose, mild fevers or cough
  • Self-isolation and quarantine when you travel from any of the international destinations
  • Keeping the health ministry informed about your return from a particular destination during the outbreak to curb the virus. It is one of the tips after a trip that can help you stay safe.
  • Not to step out on the roads, party, and involve in casual social gatherings, and this is one of the advice for travelers. You must call the doctor if the cold or cough persists more than three days
  • Drinking water often and keeping the throat moist to avoid any respiratory tract problems
  • Usage of appropriate masks if you are sneezing or coughing too much
  • Maintaining social distance and avoiding going close to people or indulging in hugs or hand-shakes can also be excellent advice for travelers.
  • Do use hand sanitizers that are alcohol-based and wash your hands for at least 20 seconds.
  • Older adults aged above 60 and children below ten years of age must stay indoors as much as possible. It is because they are more prone to COVID-19 symptoms.

Temporary Travel Rules due to COVID-19 Outbreak

We must be aware of the rules and regulations issued by different countries, and this can help you to plan your travel accordingly.

Some of the countries that have banned international travelers are as follows:

Qatar

Known for their brilliant airlines Qatar Airways, Qatar is one of the most sought-after destinations, and due to the outbreak of COVID-19, they have blocked the travelers from 14 countries.

Bhutan

Known as the ‘Happy Country,’ Bhutan has banned international travelers from everywhere for two weeks to contain the virus.

USA

The United States of America has also banned the travel of international travelers and even traveling from the UK, and Ireland also remains suspended from March 20. Staying back at home for everyone at California has been ordered by the government. California is one of the highly populated states in the country.

Europe

Most of the countries in the European continent are infected. Hence, traveling in and out of Europe for the next 30 days has been entirely restricted.

Argentina

The entire country is locked down to contain the virus. There have been strict orders for the residents to stay back at home, and they are allowed to step out only when they want to buy groceries or meet the doctor. The government is punishing people for roaming freely without any purpose or valid reason.

Australia

The Australian government announced restrictions to all the non-Australia citizens entering the continent on March 20. The direct relatives of the Australian citizens are allowed. However, they are to be put under strict screening and isolation process for the next 14 days upon the arrival.

Austria

Austrians have tightened their measures as well. They have said no to Italian travelers and have closed the doors to people traveling from China’s Hubei Province, Iran, and South Korea.

India

India has also closed the borders and is refraining from allowing international tourists to enter the Indian sub-continent. Containing a virus in a country with about 1.4 billion without banning travelers can become highly impossible.

India has restricted the entry of tourists from the UK, USA, Iceland, Turkey, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Norway, and more from March 18, 2020. Traveling visas to all international travelers remain suspended. Returning Indians from China, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman should go through strict 14-day isolation and quarantine process.

Cambodia

Cambodia has also said a ‘no’ to people traveling from Italy, Germany, Spain, France, and the United States of America for the next 30 days starting March 17, 2020. Hence, making travel plans to any parts of the country at this point is certainly not worth it.

 Impact of Coronavirus

  • Most of the countries like Japan, India, have shut down the malls and cinema theatres
  • Hotels, restaurants, pubs, and bars are locked down in countries such as Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, and India.
  • Educational Institutions, schools, and colleges are closed in India, Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Turkey
  • The grocery stores in the USA and the UK witnessed zero customers due to the coronavirus fears.
  • Hospitals, Ambulance, and some of the government offices are functioning to help the public.
  • Most of the famous places visited by a lot of tourists are now being deserted in several countries giving a tough time to the Travel and tourism business.

Myths related to Coronavirus

There is so much news that is spread by social media about the causes and prevention of Coronavirus. However, some of these health recommendations are not true, and can indeed lead you to sickness. For example, spraying chlorine on your body can never be an excellent solution to eradicate viral infections such as these.

Instead, the easiest way to stay healthy is by washing and cleaning your hands properly. Also, try to stay indoors as much as you can.

Let’s check out the truth behind a few popular myths about Coronavirus that is impacting all your travel plans.

 1. Alcohol or chlorine

You must have already heard that alcohol and chlorine can kill the Coronavirus. However, the truth is that these chemicals can only kill germs on hard surfaces. Once the virus enters your system, there is probably no way in which these alcoholic solutions can stop the effects. Moreover, using alcohol or chlorine on your face or skin can cause irritations too. Your eyes, mouth, and the mucous membranes are prone to damage due to the use of such chemicals.

2. Garlic

Well, garlic is sure a great way to keep yourself healthy against microbial allergies and infections. However, in the case of the Coronavirus, no one knows yet how effective garlic consumption can be. According to reports issued by the World Health Organization, there is no such guarantee that consuming garlic in large quantities can help you get rid of Coronavirus or even keep you completely protected against the same.

3. Drinking bleach

Please stay away from all such weird suggestions such as this one which says that you should drink bleach to keep away Coronavirus. Do you know the effects of such a step? It can cause permanent internal damage that does not have a cure at all. The WHO is following the John Hopkins Theory to find a cure for the Coronavirus. In this context, such weird tips are entirely irrelevant.

4. Essential oils and acetic acid

There are several sources on social media platforms that have come up with solutions. One out of those is that you can shield yourself from the effects of the Coronavirus by using essential oils and acetic acid. However, it makes no sense, according to the John Hopkins book of rules. There is no way that you can stay protected from the virus even if you spray yourself with acetic acid. Instead, you will experience irritation and damage if you try these measures.

5. Chinese food

Surprisingly, people believe in rumors that say you may fall ill by eating Chinese food. However, the truth is that food is completely safe, no matter if it is Chinese or American. The Coronavirus is a bronchial, and respiratory infection that will only spread when someone already affected comes in contact with you.

What should you ideally do now?

The best idea during this emergency seems to be on proper quarantine at home. Also, you must visit a doctor if you are experiencing flu-like symptoms. You must be a little upset because you are not able to go on a trip. Why not look at the brighter side of it? Do you remember the last time you could spend quality time with your whole family? Now is the time you can do that.

You all can stay back at home, not go anywhere, and have friendly chats with each other. There is so much time when you can relax, cook delicious meals for the family, and eat together. At times, we need to slow down a little bit to catch up on a few essential things in life. However, we are often too busy to enjoy the smallest pleasures of life. The coronavirus is sure a curse to humankind, but since ‘every cloud has a silver lining’. We must find the positive out of everything that happens around us.

Final thoughts

Well, these are some of the details that you must know about the COVID-19. Also, when you are aware of the things revolving around the coronavirus, you would be able to take preventive measures and stay safe.

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