Is it safe to travel during the holiday season?

Romar Fernando

December 16, 2020

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  Photo Credit: Rappler / Philbooking

  The Filipino Christmas season is already up. Since the first day of September, the Filipinos are still hoping for a better celebration of Christmas this year despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

  Every 15 days since June 2020, the quarantine classifications of several cities and municipalities in the country were being modified, hence, ease restrictions on people’s mobility and worse, people are having some complacent mindsets as if the pandemic is over.

  Christmas day is coming, and we love to celebrate together. The question: Is it safe to travel during this holiday season amid the pandemic? Is it safe to celebrate together?

  Today, we have started the traditional Simbang Gabi or the nine-day novena masses toward Christmas day. And few weeks earlier, we’ve hearing the news about heavy traffic situation in the metropolitan, minors coming out of residences, longer mall hours, and even jam-packed Divisoria streets. It is indeed the season!

  

  Photo Credit: ABS-CBN News

  On the counterpart, aside from the fact that our country only records more than 1,000 new cases per day, the OCTA Research team of the University of the Philippines recently published that COVID-19 reproduction rate in the past two weeks, from December 1 to 11, has surpassed 1.0, which means the virus is spreading faster. “As of latest data, Ro in NCR is at 0.99. It should be above 1 in 1-2 days, which is now a certainty. We think (and hope) we will be able to weather the holiday increase in cases,” Prof. Guido David said in an interview.

  For the nth time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States keeps on reminding about measures like staying at home and to avoid non-essential travels.

  Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, noted that even the modest gatherings of family members and friends can drive the virus surge. It is tantamount of saying staying home is the safest bet.

  

  Photo Credit: Rappler

  In travelling from one location to another, the doctor advises to pay attention to the counts of active cases in your destination. Of course, the risk of infection increases in areas with high community transmission. For an instance, if you come from a province with no active case of COVID-19, be wary and take extra precautions upon entering Metro Manila which is currently having numerous active cases.

  Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, also warn the elders, those who are frail and currently having chronic underlying illnesses. “There are well-documented Covid-19 clusters associated with family gatherings, including ones that resulted in deaths,” he said. It is inclined with the recent warning made by the Department of Health, “People want to be with their loved ones but might end up killing them. I’m sorry to be so blunt but you could kill your loved ones.”

  If you must ask, what will be the safest way to get to destination? Generally, according to Dr. Schaffner said that it would be driving. It allows travelers more control of their interactions rather than flying. With air travel, “you’re more at the mercy of what’s happening around you,” Schaffner said.

  

  Photo Credit: Philbooking

  Is it now safe to gather outside the household? Well, technically, Police Major General Debold Sinas of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said that gatherings such as Christmas parties will be prohibited during the season.

  According to Dr. Schaffner, small, outdoor, socially distanced gatherings are safest. If you gather inside, choose an open, well-ventilated space. “Large groups, especially if coming from different households or geographic locations, could increase the risk of infection,” he said.

  To sum all of these, the safest option is to celebrate Christmas with your family… at home.

  May you have a healthy and meaningful celebration of Christmas!

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