The U.S. Travel Association is asking that Americans who choose to travel do so while fully adhering to public health guidelines.
Fully aware of the CDC guidance to call off travel during Thanksgiving as the virus surges, the U.S. Travel Association understands that many people will still be heading out to be with family.
"It is extremely important to not become complacent about our health and safety practices," U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow advised. "If we do, the longer this pandemic will go on."
AAA Travel projects that as many as 50 million Americans will take to the roads and skies for the November holiday despite the virus' rapid spread throughout the U.S., which is experiencing a record number of daily cases during this current spike.
In light of so many Americans traveling during the upcoming holiday, the association has updated its guidance, "Travel in the New Normal," which provides travelers with updated guidelines for traveling safely.
"Public health is a shared responsibility that requires a phased and layered approach, and if you're choosing to travel, you have a major role to play," said Dow. "First and foremost: wear a mask in public spaces. That needs to be universal at this point."
Updates to the new guidance now include evidence gathered over the course of the pandemic that provides an up-to-date and accurate assessment on the transmission of COVID-19.
"The same best practices apply in every phase of travel," said Dow. "If you're in an airport, at a rest stop, or entering a restaurant, or if you're staying in a hotel, please wear a mask in public spaces, without exception."
In addition to mask-wearing, other measures that travelers need to ensure they are adhering to include:
-Decide if you can travel safely. Do not travel if you are sick or if you have been around someone with COVID-19 in the past 14 days.
-Get an annual flu vaccine.
-Before travel, check information about your destination. Check health departments for local requirements and up-to-date travel information about your destination.
-Practice physical distancing. Stay six feet from those who do not live with you, both indoors and outdoors.
-Wash your hands frequently. Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.
The guidance was created in collaboration with health and safety experts and follows CDC guidelines. U.S. Travel heeded the expertise of infectious disease, preventive and occupational medicine experts to provide this updated guidance.
"Our collaboration with the U.S. Travel Association has always been to get the industry ahead to the degree possible," said Dr. Michael D. Parkinson, Infectious Diseases Society of America representative to the Working Group. "There is no question that we are in an unprecedented, uncontrolled and dangerous time for this epidemic, and I feel that it's my responsibility to say that and for us to say 'how do we accommodate travel during this difficult time' while we look beyond the fatigue to get to the days where we can get back to some degree of normalcy and get people on the road safely preserving their health and the health of the ones around them."
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
