You are used to traveling for work, and until about a year ago, you lived your life on the road. You are chomping at the bit to get back to the life that late you led, but we are still months away from having a majority of people vaccinated.
In spite of the pandemic, there are some trips that you must take in order to keep your business running smoothly. There are certain conditions that you should make sure exists when trying to decide if a trip is essential.
Consider What Will Happen If You Don’t Go
If you are an essential worker such as a first responder, doctor, or traveling nurse, you may not have any choice about traveling during the COVID epidemic. If you have an ongoing project that needs immediate attention, such as the construction of a building or a road, it may also be very important that you travel right now. There are business trip management services that can help you plan your trip.
If you were traveling because you needed to close a big business deal, you might want to think about whether or not you can close the deal on Zoom for another such service. Whoever you are considering doing the deal with should understand that these are not ordinary times and that meeting in person may not be a viable option.
Consider the Rate of COVID Wherever You are Going
The United States is far and away the leader in Coronavirus. We have more deaths and more cases of the virus than countries that are much bigger than we are. If you are traveling domestically, you should know that some states are requiring people to stay in the state and quarantine for at least two weeks before going out of the house or leaving the state.
If you are traveling to a state that may impose a quarantine, you should consider whether it will be worth the time and expense of the trip. You will have to stay in a hotel room or home-sharing service for a couple of weeks.
You will have to consider the cost of groceries and delivered meals. Wherever you stay should probably have a kitchen, as many restaurants are not open due to the virus.
Do you fall into a high-risk group?
There are certain people who are considered to be at high risk for the Coronavirus. A recent study showed that people who were obese were much more likely to die than their thinner counterparts. Elderly people have a higher risk of contracting the virus. People with diabetes and other underlying medical conditions are strongly encouraged to stay home as much as possible.
Have You Had The Vaccine
The vaccine is quite new, and scientists don’t know very much about the long-term effectiveness of it yet. However, you are certainly safer to travel if you have had it than if you have not.
If you had the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, you should wait about seven days after the second dose before taking a trip. For the Moderna vaccine, you should wait 14 days to travel.
If you must take a business trip, you will want to fly during the least crowded times of day, which tend to be after 6 p.m. at night. You should also try to fly business or first class if you can, as you will be at a greater distance from your fellow travelers. You should wear PPE at all times in public.
The world may not be the same for many years after the virus has been eliminated. If you take the proper safety measures to fight COVID-19 now, you will be able to continue to explore the world in the future.
Interesting Related Article: “How to Plan Your Business Travel: 4 Steps“