Useful Tips on Travelling During the COVID-19 Pandemic

With the rate of vaccinations high around Canada and around the world, travelling has seen a resurgence in recent months even with the COVID-19 pandemic still going strong around the world and variants popping up in different parts of the word. Since the pandemic shows no signs of receding, here are some useful tips on travelling during the COVID-19 pandemic:

Travel when you only need to

The risk of getting COVID is much higher when you are with others in an enclosed space for a long period of time so the best way to protect yourself is to not travel at all unless is ABSOLUTELY necessary. Since Ottawa’s vaccination rates are much higher and COVID cases are lower now than other cities, you are more likely to stay safer by staying near your home. You can learn more on what the virus can do to you and its impact on travelling by visiting Mayo Clinic's website for more information.

Follow general safety precautions

If you must travel, then the best way to protect yourself is by following safety precautions such as ensuring you are fully vaccinated and have waited the necessary period of time for the vaccine to build immunity (i.e 2 weeks after the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine). Even if you are fully vaccinated, its important to keep wearing a mask even if the place you are going to doesn’t require one because the virus can be caught even after being fully vaccinated and also to limit touching high traffic surfaces such as door knobs. It is also important that in situations where a mask cannot be worn, such as at a restaurant, you must be keeping about 6 feet or 2 meters apart from others.

Follow the local health guidelines

If you are travelling outside of the province or country, it is important to follow the local health guidelines in addition to the precautions from the tip above. For example, if the country you are travelling to requires that all visitors must show proof of a negative COVID-19 test even if they are fully vaccinated then you must take a PCR test in Canada and ensure you show it at the country you are travelling to. You can learn more by visiting the Government of Canada website. 

Be aware of re-entry requirements back to Canada

When re-entering Canada, it is important to be aware of the rules surrounding entry. As of the time of writing, travellers re-entering Canada must show proof of a negative COVID 19 PCR test and upload it to the ArriveCAN app on their device to show border officials. They must also not show any symptoms of COVID-19 and be ready for a test upon request (like the photo shows below of a person taking the test). If the travellers aren’t fully vaccinated then they must have a proof of negative COVID test and also have a plan to quarantine for 14 days. Some exceptions include essential workers or cross-border workers who are required to show proof of a negative test but are exempt from the quarantine requirement.  

Finally, always be attentive while travelling during the pandemic as we don't how who has COVID-19 or its variants. Also, if you need any help there is the Canadian embassy in some country to help if you are ever in a crisis.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. If you have any further questions, comments or future blog post ideas, please don’t hesitate to leave a message with you name and email address in the contact page.