We have received many questions from divers concerned about travel during the Covid-19 outbreak occurring throughout the world. There is no doubt that this public health emergency is cause for concern so here is what we know about how this may impact travelers with Blue Green Expeditions.
Many cases of COVID-19 have been associated with travel to or from mainland China or close contact with a travel-related case, but sustained community spread has been reported in a few countries. Sustained community spread means that people in affected countries have been infected with the virus, but how or where they became infected is not known. Here are the actions taken so far by the US government and recommendations by the Center for Disease Control as of February 26, 2020:
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Effective February 2, at 5pm, the U.S. government suspended entry of foreign nationals who have been in China within the past 14 days.
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U.S. citizens, residents, and their immediate family members who have been in Hubei province and other parts of mainland China are allowed to enter the United States, but they are subject to health monitoring and possible quarantine for up to 14 days.
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CDC has issued the following travel guidance related to COVID-19:
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China — Level 3, Avoid Nonessential Travel — updated February 22, 2020
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South Korea — Level 3, Avoid Nonessential Travel — updated February 24, 2020
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Japan — Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions — updated February 22, 2020
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Iran — Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions — issued February 23, 2020
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Italy — Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions — issued February 23, 2020
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Hong Kong — Level 1, Practice Usual Precautions — issued February 19, 2020
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CDC also recommends that all travelers reconsider cruise ship voyages into or within Asia at this time.
At this time, none of our expeditions involve countries on any of the Alert levels. Nor do we offer cruise ship style voyages where disease is much more likely to spread. This is an incredibly dynamic situation and there is no way to predict what will happen in the next few weeks, never mind the next few months. We are monitoring the situation daily and will reevaluate with new information.
We know some flights might need to be changed in order to avoid countries with heightened risk or to comply with entry requirements of the country of your final destination. In that case, your airline should allow you to change your flight at no cost or for a small fee. In the event a country we will be traveling to is added to the CDC’s list, we will work with our vendors to rebook travelers on a future date. Please be aware that your trip cancellation insurance may not cover a trip cancelled due to Covin-19 spread so please check with the company directly.
Because older adults and those with chronic medical conditions may be at higher risk for severe disease, people in these groups should discuss travel with a healthcare provider and consider postponing nonessential travel.
To minimize your risk:
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Avoid contact with sick people.
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Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
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Clean your hands often by washing them with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at 60%–95% alcohol. Soap and water should be used if hands are visibly dirty.
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Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
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Monitor the CDC Threat Level: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html
- Have medical evacuation insurance such as that provided by DAN and other travel insurance agencies.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at info@BlueGreenExpeditions.com.
