Can’t wait to feed that travel bug? We can absolutely relate to that. After being in lockdown for months on end since 2020, we are all going slightly insane, but it seems like we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. As Malaysia slowly emerges from tight lockdown restrictions, travellers are starting to dream again of sandy beaches, city staycations and road trip adventures.

As you are making plans to hit the sky or the road, it might be worth taking a more cautious approach compared to the pre-COVID era, considering both your personal and public safety as much as possible. All travel comes with some risk of getting or spreading COVID-19, but with a little research and preparation, it is possible to travel safely during a pandemic.

Keep reading to discover tips that can help you stay safe and minimize risk to yourself and to the people around you.

1. Things to consider when planning your trip

First things first, the question you should be asking yourself — to travel or not to travel? To help answer that, here is a list of questions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to consider as you plan your next trip.

Is COVID-19 spreading where you’re headed?
Is COVID-19 spreading in your community?
Will you or the people who you are traveling with be within six feet of others during or after your trip?
Are the people who are traveling with you at high risk for COVID-19?
Do you live with someone who is at high risk?
Will the state or local government where you live require you to stay home for 14 days after traveling?
If you get sick with COVID-19, will you have to miss work or other obligations?

It is totally fine if you want or need to travel, as long as you are smart about it. Pulmonary and critical care physician Joseph Khabbaza, MD says, “Despite still being in the midst of a pandemic, most of the things that we were doing before can still be done safely. It really is as simple as keeping our distance from others, keeping our hands clean and covering the parts of our body where respiratory droplets could enter or exit with a mask.”

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