With spring break around the corner, you may have plans of going on a trip to a different state, a different city, or even to a forest for a breath of fresh air.
Although these are all normal spring break activities, the reality of COVID-19 is still prevalent. But is traveling during a pandemic all that bad?
I took a trip during the pandemic in March 2021 to Hawaii. It may seem as though it was paradise for me, but I went there to attend my grandfather’s funeral. Not quite a “paradise.”
In my case, this trip was an emergency.
By and large, COVID-19 has changed our world so much that travel has become something we have to think twice about. With all the uncertainties that it entails, other students feel unsure about taking trips this spring break.
“I think traveling at any point right now is a risky thing,” said Teylor Tobin, a third-year theatre major at Long Beach State. “I understand as a student who is not from the city of Long Beach how important it is to visit family on these breaks.”
Despite her reservations about students wanting to travel during spring break, Tobin also empathizes with the feelings of those who miss their families.
“I feel extremely torn in this circumstance with not wanting the transmission of this disease to affect anyone and still understanding families need to be together,” she said.
Tobin also said that she thinks others should be safe and take precautions when traveling by plane or other public means.
“I do believe people should be tested before taking a flight traveling. There is no reason you should be unwilling to test,” she said. “This is ten times truer for those who refuse to be vaccinated.”
Overall, to travel is to take a risk. This virus has claimed millions of lives and it is understandable to have some reservations when it comes to travel. It will be a while until we can be able to travel freely. Hopefully, that day comes sooner than expected.
But with the pandemic still present, nobody should take a trip outside of U.S. soil. Domestic flights should be in the clear as contact tracing has been made easier for Americans. Now that the vaccine has been distributed across the country, flights within the states are possible.
Those who refuse to be vaccinated should not be making plans to go to another country any time soon, as they may have contracted the virus and spread it to others. That will bring the case numbers back up rather than minimizing them.
At the end of the day, get vaccinated and boosted before planning to fly. If you care for the well-being of others, make sure you are safe when you travel this spring break.