I need to travel abroad for a family emergency. How do I handle it during the pandemic?
Welcome to Pandemic Problems, an advice column from The Chronicle’s engagement reporters that aims to help Bay Area residents solve their pandemic-related conundrums — personal, practical or professional. Send your questions and issues to [email protected].
Today’s question is fielded by The Chronicle’s Kellie Hwang.
Dear Advice Team: I am 63 and live in Santa Clara County. My sibling, who was living abroad in a country with a high level of coronavirus, unexpectedly passed away. It’s become clear that I will have to travel there to deal with the burial and other logistics as I am the closest living family member. If I find a way to be vaccinated, would it still be safe for me to travel to a country with a high rate of infections, and with the new variants that are spreading? And if it would, are there any exceptions to the vaccine rules given this emergency family situation that I could inquire about? I don’t even know who to reach out to, or where to start.
Dear Reader: First of all, condolences to you and your family during what I’m sure is a difficult and stressful time. Many people have had to figure out a way to deal with family emergencies during the pandemic, but I can’t imagine how challenging it must be when the problem becomes international.
There are steps you can take to prepare yourself as best as possible to travel. Here is some advice from infectious-disease and travel experts.
Contact the embassy
Contact your destination country’s embassy or consulate located nearest to you, and explain your situation. They will know best what the situation looks like where you need to go.
Get a travel agent
Christopher Elliott, a consumer advocate and author, recommends finding a good travel adviser who specializes in the specific country.
Check travel restrictions and recommendations
For any foreign travel, check restrictions on who is allowed to arrive in your destination country. Many countries have banned foreign nationals, including U.S. citizens, from entering, but sometimes exceptions are allowed, such as caring for relatives who live in that country, or a death abroad.
Mary Wilson, a clinical professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the UCSF School of Medicine, suggests checking the following websites for information:
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: The agency maintains a page with COVID-19 travel recommendations by destination.
• U.S. State Department: Find country-specific COVID-19 information on this page and information about deaths overseas on this page.
• Office or ministry of foreign affairs and ministry of health offices for the specific country.
Prepare for testing and quarantine requirements
You’ll want to check health screening procedures upon entering and exiting your destination country, and stay vigilant with safety measures if you have any layovers.
On Jan. 12, 2021, the CDC announced that all travelers arriving to the U.S. from a foreign country are required to get tested for the coronavirus within three days prior to departure. They must present a negative test result or proof of recovery from COVID-19 to the airline before boarding.
Those arriving to the U.S. on one or more connecting flights must get tested in the three days before the first flight in their itinerary, but only if the flights were booked as a single passenger record with the U.S. as the final destination, and no layover is more than 24 hours long, according to the U.S. Embassy. If the connecting flight to the U.S. was booked separately or the connection is longer than 24 hours, travelers need to get tested within three days before that flight arrives in the U.S.
After returning to the U.S., the CDC recommends getting tested three to five days after traveling, and quarantining at home for seven days. If you receive a positive test result, isolate and stay away from others. If you do not get tested, self-quarantine for 10 days after traveling.
Many countries and local jurisdictions have testing and quarantine requirements for arriving travelers, so find out the rules specifically where you are staying.
Get vaccinated if possible, but it’s not required for travel
If you are eligible, get a coronavirus vaccine before traveling. But remember it will take time to go through the process. There is a 21- to 28-day period between the two doses depending on which one you get.
After the first dose, the Moderna vaccine has shown to be about 92% effective after 14 days, while the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is about 52% effective after 12 days. The vaccines won’t be fully effective until two weeks after the second doses, so you probably won’t be fully protected until a month and a half after receiving your first dose.
Elliott said he doesn’t know of any emergency provisions that would allow individuals to get vaccinated if they are not currently eligible.
According to California guidelines, individuals 65 and older; health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities; and frontline essential workers in education, food and agriculture, and emergency services are eligible for a vaccine. But the state says counties can amend the guidelines to reflect local priorities, and some groups may not be able to receive a vaccine yet in their county due to lack of supply.
The health department in Santa Clara County, where you live, said current eligibility there is only for individuals 65 and older. On Feb. 28, eligibility will expand to frontline essential workers in education and child care, food and agriculture, and emergency services.
“At this time, nonessential travel is strongly discouraged,” the health department said. “If someone must travel, as in this situation, it is important to follow all precautions, including quarantining upon return in accordance with the county’s health officer directives.”
Stay safe while traveling
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Whether or not you can get vaccinated, you’ll still want to take the necessary precautions while traveling. Even after receiving both vaccine doses, the CDC recommends continuing COVID-19 safety measures including wearing a mask, social distancing and frequently washing your hands.
“There is no way to avoid risk of exposure during such a trip, but personal interventions and choices can reduce risk,” Wilson said.
Wilson advises thinking of a trip in many segments. She said the portion on an airplane may be one of the safest, as many planes exchange the air every two to four minutes and use HEPA filters. Most airlines clean their planes before every flight. U.S. airports have also implemented precautionary measures including enhanced clearing and contactless check-in.
The Transportation Security Administration announced this year that travelers are now required to wear masks at airports, on passenger airplanes and throughout the transportation network. All major airlines require passengers to wear masks, but only Delta Airlines will continue to block some seats on all flights to allow for distancing through spring break and Easter.
Here are some of Wilson’s travel safety tips:
• Book through a major U.S. carrier if possible, and arrange a flight itinerary with as few connections as possible to avoid more chances for exposure and long layovers. If you do have connecting flights, it might be a good idea to research layover airports for safety measures and if they tend to have long delays.
• Consider double masking in any indoor spaces including airports, on planes and ground transport. The CDC has provided new guidelines to improve protection.
• Take extra precautions at meeting points within airports (check-in, boarding area, bathrooms, baggage claim) and on transportation, as they are potential sites of exposure.
• Maintain physical distancing and avoid indoor crowds, particularly in poorly ventilated spaces.
• Bring extra masks and hand sanitizer.
• Wash your hands often and avoid touching your face during travel.
• Purchase takeout food and bring it back to your lodging, rather than eating out at restaurants.
Also, keep in mind that new coronavirus variants are circulating that may be more infectious or cause more severe illness. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at UCSF, said to continue with the “protections we know about that work against variants” including mask-wearing, ventilation and hand washing.
Kellie Hwang is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @KellieHwang.
Pandemic Problems is written by Chronicle Advice Team members Annie Vainshtein and Kellie Hwang, combining thorough reporting and guidance from Bay Area experts to help get answers and find a way forward.
