Following the emergence of a new Covid variant ‘Omicron’ that has triggered travel restrictions across the world, including in India, Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy on Saturday urged tourists to cancel their holiday plans due to fears of a third. Do not coronavirus Instead urged them to follow precautionary protocols and focus on getting immunizations done.
Reddy said that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, not only in India, but the tourism industry across the world has been affected, adding that domestic tourism is on the rise, and people are moving towards popular destinations. “However, there is some speculation that a third wave may be on the way. Whether the third wave comes or not, everyone (with travel plans) should follow the corona protocol and travel to tourist places,” the minister said on Saturday. Said at a press conference in Goa.
In India, many states have banned travelers coming from abroad. Before flying to Mumbai, the state government has requested that all international passengers send their travel history details for the last 15 days. Passengers from high-risk countries will be screened at different counters. Additional RT-PCR testing and institutional quarantine will be required. Additionally, RT-PCR tests will be conducted on all passengers on the connecting flight. Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand have also imposed similar restrictions on incoming travelers to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant.
The Center had recently decided to resume scheduled international flights from December 15, citing the “evolving global scenario” in the wake of the Omicron threat. The government will announce the new date later. The new order, however, will not affect the current flights that are running as it is only for full resumption which has now been postponed. DGCA further said that air bubble arrangement India Must be maintained with many countries.
The Omron edition that surfaced last week in South Africa now has four confirmed cases in India as well. Being highly transmissible and possibly more contagious than the deadly Delta variant (which led to a devastating second wave in the country in April and May), little is known about the mutant, and whether it is more lethal than the Delta. Is. However, amid fears of a COVID wave, people are undecided about whether to extend their travel plans at specific times of the seasonal holidays with Christmas and New Years.
Should you cancel your trip?
Courtney Nibruzydowski, an international travel risk analyst at the University of Denver, told the new York Times People should ask themselves two primary questions when considering travel: 1. Can this trip be postponed? and 2. How flexible can you be?
She also urges people to think about all the scenarios that can emerge while traveling – such as testing positive, facing a canceled return flight or learning last minute that their destination country has expanded its quarantine requirement – And map out detailed contingency plans including costs, missed obligations and how to approach health care. Often, she said, after undergoing this exercise, people “feel less hungry for travel.”
The Journey to the Immuno-Compromised
Jessica Herzstein, a physician who advises organizations on how to manage the coronavirus and other health risks, including those associated with travel, told anytime that it discourages anyone who has not been vaccinated or who is immune from travelling. She also advises travelers who are visiting destinations especially with high prevalence of cases to consider cancellation. For those planning to travel, Herzstein strongly recommends booster shots for those eligible and supplies at-home rapid antigen tests.
It should be noted that many developed countries have started giving booster shots to their populations. In India, however, the third time to ‘support immunity’ is yet to be decided.
The kind of mask you wear while traveling is important
David Friedman, elected president of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, said the type of mask is particularly important when traveling. Friedman discourages people from wearing cloth or homemade masks; He said that N95 or KN95 masks are better.
It is difficult to assess how likely it is that a passenger will encounter an infected person while on a flight to their destination. This is especially important to consider when traveling with children who are too young to be vaccinated or to wear a mask.
Mental health impact of travel?
Part of the challenge that many are grappling with is knowing how to weigh other variables – such as the mental health benefits of celebrating Christmas with family, or the professional benefits that can come from interacting face-to-face with coworkers. . It’s easier for governments to define “essential travel” than for individuals, Niebrzydowski said new York Times report good.
Fear not unreasonable, say experts
Travel risk experts say the fear of getting stuck is not unreasonable. If a person tests positive, they will not be able to re-enter most countries, including the US, unless they test negative. During the pandemic, many airlines have canceled flights at critical times, leaving people stranded for days or even months.
One data point that determined travelers may want to consider, however, is that some countries have banned their citizens from returning altogether.
“It’s pretty much unheard of for a country to refuse to return one of its own citizens,” Friedman said.
During the pandemic, only a few cases have been reported. (China at one time closed its land border with Russia to everyone, including Chinese citizens. Australia briefly barred its own citizens from returning from India.)
With input from Heather Murphy’s article in new York Times,
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