After a year of being stuck inside, social distancing and wearing masks, people are more than ready to plan summer vacations again. Dr. Ronald Goren, an infectious disease specialist at Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic, shared some tips for safely traveling this summer.
It is a matter of personal feelings if you are vaccinated, according to Goren. He recommends wearing a mask if you are immunosuppressed or have underlying health conditions, even if you are vaccinated.
A person is fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving their second dose for two-dose vaccines and two weeks after your shot if it was a one-time vaccine, Goren said. During the two weeks, people should continue to wear masks and social distance.
Although the Centers for Disease Control has said vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks, you still have to abide by businesses and municipalities’ rules. Even if you are vaccinated, if a business requires a mask to enter you must wear one.
Although things are looking better, there are still some places in the United States that are hotspots for COVID-19.
“I would recommend checking the CDC website to find out if the area a person is traveling to is a hot spot [for COVID-19],” Goren said.
If you are traveling internationally, depending on the country, you may have to provide a negative test for COVID-19 or show that you are vaccinated, according to Goren.
Goren recommends that people who aren’t vaccinated do not travel. An unvaccinated person who travels will need to take a COVID-19 test before they leave and after they return. They should also quarantine for 7-10 days, Goren emphasized.
“I think the No. 1 point to make is get vaccinated,” Goren said. “I think we’ve proven that this vaccine is safe.”
“The benefit outweighs the risk,” Goren continued.
