SAN JOSE, Calif. — The advice from federal health officials remains insistent: Please stay home this summer unless it’s absolutely necessary — even if you’re vaccinated.
But travel is still legal, and millions of Americans yearn for a change of scenery. While vaccines don’t guarantee protection from mild disease, we’re free from the overwhelming fear of becoming seriously ill or dying.
If you journey, how can you mitigate the risk to yourself and others? Experts offer this advice.
Cars vs. planes, trains and buses
Cars and private RVs are still recommended for the unvaccinated. But if you are fully vaccinated, it’s fine to take public transit, such as buses, trains and airplanes.
Don’t count on adjacent seats being open; those days are over. If possible, sit by a window and put on the ventilation. Wear a mask — not just to be polite, but because you’re surrounded by people from all over, who may not have had access to vaccines.
Where to go
Our Instagram feeds are full of friends heading to exotic places. But you might have to offer proof of a vaccine — or be tested or be quarantined — before your destination will admit you.
The U.S. State Department has expanded its “do not travel” warnings to include the majority of countries worldwide. If you get sick or stuck, there’s little that our government will do to help. So if you decide to travel right now, consider all the potential risks. To learn more about individual countries, go to https://travelmaps.state.gov/TSGMap/.
For domestic travel, pay attention to the conditions in the place that you’re visiting. If they’re a hotspot of viral infection, try to choose activities where there are fewer people. Or wear a better quality mask.
Because COVID-19 risks can shift quickly, think about paying a little more for an airline ticket that offers refunds and greater cancellation flexibility. Consider travel insurance that includes pandemic coverage.
Restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels
While indoor dining is safe for vaccinated people, outdoor dining will be this summer’s safe norm. Skip the romantic wine cellars and instead grab a table at a patio, sidewalk café, garden sanctuary or dining pavilion.
Hotels have stepped up their cleaning protocols for rooms, and the risk from previous occupants is quite low. The greater risk comes from crowded lobbies or elevators.
Traveling with kids
Children can become infected and transmit the virus among themselves, because they’re not yet vaccinated. So if your kids are toddlers and hate wearing masks, traveling will pose a risk.
The danger isn’t great for them, because children rarely get severely sick. But they can spread it to anyone who isn’t protected.
If grandma and grandpa are vaccinated, feel free to visit.
Water parks, pools and camps
Beaches and pools are relatively safe places to enjoy the warm weather. But be careful in locker rooms, at long lines for diving boards or in crowds.
Summer camps are a lot like school — but they’re outdoors, so they’re safer. The important thing is for counselors and other adults to be vaccinated.
Concerts, kissing — and unvaccinated friends
Assuming you are fully vaccinated, the average concert doesn’t pose a great risk. But experts still get queasy about big venues packed with thousands of strangers — especially if they’re screaming and singing, with lots of alcohol and few masks. The larger the crowd, the more nervous they get.
Kissing is fine if you’re both vaccinated, of course. What if they’re not vaccinated, but you are? They’re at risk, not you. Consider a conversation: Tell them you’re worried about their safety.
How do you handle those friends and family members who refuse to get vaccinated?
“I think it’s perfectly polite to just ask straight out: ‘Have you been vaccinated? Will you be vaccinated by the time we meet?’ ” said epidemiologist Dr. Caitlin Rivers, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore.
“And if they say no,” she said, “I think it’s reasonable to say, ‘That won’t work for me.’ ”
