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Is it safe to travel to destinations with COVID-19 surges?

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Travel destinations for California residents were limited in the past year amid the global pandemic, and for months, vacations within the state seemed to be the only option. But with the Golden State recording some of the lowest rates of COVID-19 in the country, and summer upon us, residents may start to consider destinations farther afield.

Maybe you’ve found yourself eyeing Airbnb rentals in Hawaii or looking at resorts in Mexico.

But how far is it safe to go? And is it safe to travel to locations where cases are surging?

The answer to that questions varies greatly, depending on whether you’re vaccinated. 


Experts agree that if you’re unvaccinated, going to a destination where cases are rampant presents risk. Especially if you’re elderly or have preexisting health conditions.

“Going around with a bunch of unvaccinated teenagers is asking for trouble,” said Dr. George Rutherford, head of the division of infectious diseases and global epidemiology at UCSF.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises unvaccinated travelers visiting domestic destinations take extra precautions, including getting tested both before and after a trip. The CDC recommends delaying international travel until you can get fully vaccinated. (See the CDC’s complete travel guidelines.)

If you’ve completed a vaccine series, expert advice differs, with some advising more caution than others. Dr. Monica Gandhi, a professor of medicine at UCSF, says you can make plans, even if you’re planning to visit a domestic or international destination where the case rate is higher than in California, such as the family beach house in Oregon. (Oregon’s seven-day case rate is 120 new cases per 100,000 people, compared to the Golden State with 31 new cases per 100,000 people, according to the CDC.)

“It is safe for vaccinated people to travel even to places where cases are higher because they are protected against the virus,” Gandhi said.

She explained that your chances of getting COVID-19 are extremely low if you’re immune. The latest CDC data tracking breakthrough infections says that out of more than 95 million Americans who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, there have been 9,245 breakthrough cases (0.01%), and of those, 6,720 were symptomatic and 835 were hospitalized.

“Not a single breakthrough infection to date has been reported to have transmitted to another,” Gandhi noted.

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious diseases expert at UCSF, advised more caution and said he would probably forgo international travel this summer unless it’s essential, such as visiting a sick family member, as many countries are experiencing surges or have very low vaccination rates.

“Risks are much higher for unvaccinated individuals, with the highest level of COVID burden in the world right now and with variants that are more easily transmissible and cause severe disease,” Chin-Hong wrote in an email. “Vaccinated folks should still take precautions when traveling in general.”

He added that while domestic destinations are still safer than international destinations, at this point, “context matters,” and he advised travelers to choose outdoor activities whenever possible.

The U.S. State Department lists travel advisories on its website for countries around the globe, and the federal government advises against traveling to dozens of countries due to the pandemic, from Austria to Costa Rica. But ultimately you can decide whether to travel to an international destination, while keeping in mind these are dynamic times amid COVID.

“Be flexible,” Chin-Hong said. “Things are changing very quickly all the time and be ready to change plans closer to the planned date of travel. Travelers should look at the COVID numbers in destinations like the weather.”

While the CDC site offers COVID updates for individual states and counties, you can look at the World Health Organization website for the pandemic status in countries around the world. 

Rutherford cautioned that many destinations have restrictions in place and these may hinder the ease of your vacation. Before you start to think about traveling to any international destination, you should also consult the country’s requirements. 

“I think you have to understand what the government restrictions are,” he said. “Britain, for example, still has a two-week quarantine.” (Note: Britain also allows travelers to take a coronavirus test on day two and day eight of quarantining.)

What’s more, Rutherford said each situation should be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

He said age is one factor to take into consideration, especially with unvaccinated travelers.

“It depends on where you’re going and how old you are,” he said of visiting international destinations that may have higher case rates. “If you’re 5 years old (an age when you can’t get vaccinated), it’s not the end of the world,” he said. “If you’re 90 years old and unvaccinated, there’s no way I’d do that.”

He said you also have to look at the background levels of disease and what you’ll be doing.

“If you’re going to be fly-fishing in Siberia with no one around for 400 miles, that’s one thing,” he said. “But if you’re going to the West End of London to see shows, that’s another thing. It all has to be customized.”

Ultimately, Rutherford said the safest option is to stay in California, where the vaccine rollout is well underway.

“There’s lots of things to do this summer in California,” Rutherford said. “That’s where you should be looking first.”

 


Travel destinations for California residents were limited in the past year amid the global pandemic, and for months, vacations within the state seemed to be the only option. But with the Golden State recording some of the lowest rates of COVID-19 in the country, and summer upon us, residents may start to consider destinations farther afield.

Maybe you’ve found yourself eyeing Airbnb rentals in Hawaii or looking at resorts in Mexico.

But how far is it safe to go? And is it safe to travel to locations where cases are surging?

The answer to that questions varies greatly, depending on whether you’re vaccinated. 


Experts agree that if you’re unvaccinated, going to a destination where cases are rampant presents risk. Especially if you’re elderly or have preexisting health conditions.

“Going around with a bunch of unvaccinated teenagers is asking for trouble,” said Dr. George Rutherford, head of the division of infectious diseases and global epidemiology at UCSF.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises unvaccinated travelers visiting domestic destinations take extra precautions, including getting tested both before and after a trip. The CDC recommends delaying international travel until you can get fully vaccinated. (See the CDC’s complete travel guidelines.)

If you’ve completed a vaccine series, expert advice differs, with some advising more caution than others. Dr. Monica Gandhi, a professor of medicine at UCSF, says you can make plans, even if you’re planning to visit a domestic or international destination where the case rate is higher than in California, such as the family beach house in Oregon. (Oregon’s seven-day case rate is 120 new cases per 100,000 people, compared to the Golden State with 31 new cases per 100,000 people, according to the CDC.)

“It is safe for vaccinated people to travel even to places where cases are higher because they are protected against the virus,” Gandhi said.

She explained that your chances of getting COVID-19 are extremely low if you’re immune. The latest CDC data tracking breakthrough infections says that out of more than 95 million Americans who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, there have been 9,245 breakthrough cases (0.01%), and of those, 6,720 were symptomatic and 835 were hospitalized.

“Not a single breakthrough infection to date has been reported to have transmitted to another,” Gandhi noted.

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious diseases expert at UCSF, advised more caution and said he would probably forgo international travel this summer unless it’s essential, such as visiting a sick family member, as many countries are experiencing surges or have very low vaccination rates.

“Risks are much higher for unvaccinated individuals, with the highest level of COVID burden in the world right now and with variants that are more easily transmissible and cause severe disease,” Chin-Hong wrote in an email. “Vaccinated folks should still take precautions when traveling in general.”

He added that while domestic destinations are still safer than international destinations, at this point, “context matters,” and he advised travelers to choose outdoor activities whenever possible.

The U.S. State Department lists travel advisories on its website for countries around the globe, and the federal government advises against traveling to dozens of countries due to the pandemic, from Austria to Costa Rica. But ultimately you can decide whether to travel to an international destination, while keeping in mind these are dynamic times amid COVID.

“Be flexible,” Chin-Hong said. “Things are changing very quickly all the time and be ready to change plans closer to the planned date of travel. Travelers should look at the COVID numbers in destinations like the weather.”

While the CDC site offers COVID updates for individual states and counties, you can look at the World Health Organization website for the pandemic status in countries around the world. 

Rutherford cautioned that many destinations have restrictions in place and these may hinder the ease of your vacation. Before you start to think about traveling to any international destination, you should also consult the country’s requirements. 

“I think you have to understand what the government restrictions are,” he said. “Britain, for example, still has a two-week quarantine.” (Note: Britain also allows travelers to take a coronavirus test on day two and day eight of quarantining.)

What’s more, Rutherford said each situation should be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

He said age is one factor to take into consideration, especially with unvaccinated travelers.

“It depends on where you’re going and how old you are,” he said of visiting international destinations that may have higher case rates. “If you’re 5 years old (an age when you can’t get vaccinated), it’s not the end of the world,” he said. “If you’re 90 years old and unvaccinated, there’s no way I’d do that.”

He said you also have to look at the background levels of disease and what you’ll be doing.

“If you’re going to be fly-fishing in Siberia with no one around for 400 miles, that’s one thing,” he said. “But if you’re going to the West End of London to see shows, that’s another thing. It all has to be customized.”

Ultimately, Rutherford said the safest option is to stay in California, where the vaccine rollout is well underway.

“There’s lots of things to do this summer in California,” Rutherford said. “That’s where you should be looking first.”

 

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