As COVID-19 vaccination rates rise, movement restrictions are easing, and travel is on the rise. But the pandemic has made family travel a lot more difficult. In addition to packing more girls pyjamas and other necessary stuff, and those little tantrums kids have from boredom, you also have to constantly make sure your little ones follow all the safety precautions. The possibility of catching the virus is still real, especially for those under 12 years since they can’t get vaccinated yet. The good news is, even during the pandemic, it’s possible to explore the outside world with your children and make wonderful memories together. As COVID vaccination rise,movement restrictions are easing and travel is rise.Here are tips for traveling with your children during COVID.
Talk To Your Children
Many children have likely heard about COVID-19, so let them understand the pandemic situation. Tell them the virus can make them sick but make them feel safe as well. Most importantly, explain the things they need to do to avoid the virus such as wearing a mask, keeping their hands clean, distancing and not talking with other people, and so on.
Give Them a Travel Safety Kit for COVID Prevention
In addition to the regular travel essentials, including extra clothes and girls pajamas, blankets, shoes, toys, first-aid essentials, medications (if any), and so on, ensure you pack a separate travel safety kit for your child’s own protection. Include things like face masks, hand sanitiser products, tissue, disinfecting wipes, and clean towels.
Outdoors Is Better Than Indoors
An important rule of thumb when traveling with kids during the pandemic is it’s safer to be outdoors than indoors. The virus lingers more indoors, increasing the risk of exposure, but it disperses quickly outdoors, making transmission much less likely.
Choose Your Method of Travel Well
Air travel involves going through security lines and terminals, which means being near other people and touched surfaces. Also, your children will be exposed indoors to many people from different places. Bus or train travel involves sitting within six feet of others, increasing the risk of exposure. Ensuring your child wears their masks at all times, sanitizing frequently, and booking airlines that keep the middle seat empty can improve their chances of safety. Also, let your child sit near the window where they’ll be at a maximum distance from other people. All things considered, the safest bet is to only drive with people from your household.
Avoid Crowded Places
The more contact you have with people, the more chances you have of getting the virus. So limit the number of touch points with other people as much as possible. This means renting a house to stay in instead of a hotel, traveling in your car instead of flying, etc.
Ensure They Wear Their Mask
This remains an essential method of preventing COVID exposure, so ensure your child wears their face mask indoors and in public places, all the time if possible.
Conclusion
Whether you’re traveling within your own community or afar, it’s important to know the rate of COVID-19 cases at your destination. Check for travel warnings and advisories from the CDC and other reliable resources. And when you get to your destinations, follow the recommendations or requirements from national and local authorities. Remember your family’s health comes first, so keep your travel plan as flexible as possible if the pandemic situation changes.
