To either cancel or not. The Omicron variant is reminding people that the roller-coaster ride is far from over, as travelers are grappling with the question. The holiday travel season is right around the corner, and tourism has finally started to rebound after a long time.
It will be at least two weeks before we know if the variant is more severe or less transmissible than other forms of the coronaviruses. The United States is one of the countries that believes that it is a serious enough threat to merit new rules. President Biden stopped incoming U.S. travel from eight African nations after researchers discovered it. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday that the United States would tighten testing requirements, requiring all travelers entering the country, including returning Americans, to provide negative tests within one day of departure.
Most people know how to make high-stakes health-risk assessments in the face of incomplete information, but that doesn't make a decision about whether to travel or not easy.
My travel plans will not be ruined by the Omicron variant.
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November 30, 2021.
The University of Denver's international travel risk analyst said that she encourages people to ask themselves two questions when considering traveling. Can this travel be delayed? How flexible can you be?
She encourages people to think through all the scenarios that could arise if they travel, like testing positive, facing a canceled return flight or learning last minute that their destination country has expanded itsQuarantine requirement, and map out detailed contingency plans, including costs, missed obligations and how to approach health care. She said that after going through this exercise, people have less appetite for travel.
The C.D.C. advises against international travel for people who have not been fully vaccined. The World Health Organization recommends that people who are not fully vaccine-vaccinated, have not previously been infectious, are 60 years or older, or have comorbidities such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes should not travel to areas with community transmission.
Jessica Herzstein, a physician who advises organizations on how to manage the coronaviruses and other health risks, said that she discourages anyone who is unvaccinated or immune-compromised from traveling. Travelers going to destinations with a high prevalence of cases should consider canceling. Dr. Herzstein strongly recommends booster shots for those who are eligible and a supply of at- home rapid antigen tests for those planning to travel.
The type of mask one wears while traveling is important, according to the president-elect of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. N95 or KN95 masks are better than cloth or homemade masks.
It's difficult to say how likely it is that a traveler will get an infectious disease while flying. It is important to consider this when traveling with children who are too young to be vaccine-eligible. Domestic flights in the United States do not require proof of vaccinations. Both are required by some countries and airlines. Others do not.
The United States recently made it easier for people from abroad to enter the country for testing. Testing three days before a flight can miss people who are likely to be positive for the virus by the time they board the plane. He said that a flight with a P.C.R. test requirement is less risky than a flight with an antigen test. He said that there is more risk of transmission in airports than on planes. A meticulous planner can't control everything.
The mental health benefits of celebrating Christmas with family and the professional benefits that come from interacting with co-workers face-to-face are some of the variables that people are struggling with. The travel risk analyst said that it is easier for governments to define essential travel than it is for individuals.
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Biden has a winter plan. As Omicron reaches the U.S., President Biden announced a new strategy that includes hundreds of family-centered vaccination sites, booster shots for all adults, new testing requirements for international travelers and insurance reimbursement for at- home tests.
Experts have differing views on boosters. Many public health experts have opposed plans to give Covid booster shots to all adults. As Omicron gains ground, researchers are changing their minds and now believe that the shots may be the best defense against the new variant.
There are people who are struggling with this equation. Ms. Torres is supposed to travel to Canada for a holiday party next week. She has never been in the same room with her colleagues. She is concerned that she might end up stuck in Canada, far from her sick cat, because meeting them feels valuable.
Is it worth it for something so frivolous? she asked on Tuesday. She hasn't made a decision on whether to cancel or not.
Travel risk experts said that the fear of getting stuck is not unreasonable. Most countries, including the United States, will not allow a person to re-enter if they test positive. Many airlines have canceled flights at critical times, leaving people stranded for days or even months.
Few nations have ever banned their own citizens from returning altogether.
It is rare for a country to refuse to let one of their own citizens back in. There have only been a few cases of this throughout the Pandemic. China closed its land border with Russia to everyone, including Chinese citizens. Australia briefly stopped its citizens from returning from India.
When it comes to his own travel plans, he is taking precautions by flying to Montreal. The United States does not require a Covid test to enter via its land border with Canada. They would drive home if he or a family member tested positive.
Ceylan Yeginsu was in Switzerland.
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