After more than a year locked down as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, people all over the world are once again itching to travel. What many are unsure of, though, is whether or not it’s really safe to travel again. Here’s what you need to know about the risks of traveling now and how they may evolve in the near future.
How Has Travel Safety Evolved Over Recent Months?
One of the indisputable facts in this debate is that it is far safer to travel today than it was 6 months ago. Thanks to the widespread use of vaccines across the developed world, most nations are seeing significant declines in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths than they were at the start of the year. Many countries are even confident enough in their current vaccination rates that they have dropped or relaxed mask and social distancing requirements. This same trend has made international travel a real possibility again, with more countries opening their borders to foreign guests.
Are the Risks Still There?
Despite good news on the vaccine front, it would be foolhardy to ignore the very real risks that still exist with regard to COVID-19. Plateauing vaccinations rates have left most countries short of true herd immunity, and even the best vaccines have at least some rate of failure. As a result, travel still isn’t completely risk-free.Compounding the risks at the moment is the rapid spread of the delta variant, a mutation of the original SARS-CoV-2 virus. This variant has been shown to infect vaccinated people at a higher rate than the original virus or any other variant. While vaccines still offer protection in a majority of cases, the emergence of the delta variant is a real setback for the otherwise rapid move toward full reopening.
So, How Safe Is Travel Right Now?
Provided you are vaccinated, not at high risk and traveling to a place that is not experiencing a high case rate, safe travel is likely possible. To make your travels safer, be sure to look into local case data and current regulations. You should also be wary of places where the delta variant is spreading quickly, since this variant may render the protection of your vaccine less effective.If you’re concerned, remember that you can also revert to wearing a protective mask or practicing social distancing while you travel. These measures will give you a bit of extra protection against infection, just as they did during earlier stages of the pandemic. Given the current circumstances, however, you likely don’t need to be as rigorous as you were before vaccinations became widespread.
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