To travel or not to travel

[Grateful head]

Nothing I've seen recently indicates that being vaccinated will make travel any easier. You will still need to be tested, and if you have a positive test you will still need to quarantine. So far, the presence of antibodies or a vaccine will not satisfy the requirement of being tested 3 days prior to returning to the U.S.

While the vaccine purportedly will provide about 93-95% immunity, it has done nothing by way of changing U.S. government policy - including changing travel restrictions - from what I have seen (PLEASE prove me wrong!!!). I guess I find this especially frustrating because I had put so much hope in the vaccine being the panacea - and it simply is not - at least not yet.

This..... they keep changing the goalposts

 

[Divin'Papaw]

While the vaccine purportedly will provide about 93-95% immunity, it has done nothing by way of changing U.S. government policy - including changing travel restrictions - from what I have seen (PLEASE prove me wrong!!!). I guess I find this especially frustrating because I had put so much hope in the vaccine being the panacea - and it simply is not - at least not yet.

You have to take into account how small the numbers are who have been vaccinated. Once we approach 80% who have either had it or who have been vaccinated then we will see improvement. Hopefully deaths & hospitalizations will improve faster since we are vaccinating the most at risk first.

These vaccines will be the answer but we need much higher numbers to receive them before we will see the results.

 

[scubadada]

Nothing I've seen recently indicates that being vaccinated will make travel any easier. You will still need to be tested, and if you have a positive test you will still need to quarantine. So far, the presence of antibodies or a vaccine will not satisfy the requirement of being tested 3 days prior to returning to the U.S.

While the vaccine purportedly will provide about 93-95% immunity, it has done nothing by way of changing U.S. government policy - including changing travel restrictions - from what I have seen (PLEASE prove me wrong!!!). I guess I find this especially frustrating because I had put so much hope in the vaccine being the panacea - and it simply is not - at least not yet.

Hi @Kimela

Read the whole post for context. It was about traveling down to my home in Florida for diving, not international travel. The pre and post testing do not apply. I will still be taking all precautions, mask, distancing, hand washing. The difference is that I will be at less risk for infection, particularly severe disease. I still have to travel by plane, go to the grocery store once, eat all my meals by myself at home, and only encounter others under very controlled circumstances on the dive boats. When I return home to my vaccinated wife with asthma, we will distance, as we have done after the 3 trips in June, July, and Sept. It still takes much of the fun out.

I understand your frustration regarding your plans for Cozumel. We all hope to be able to resume international travel at some point, perhaps when vaccination has reached the majority of people and infection rates, hospitalizations, and deaths have decreased very significantly. My wife and I have 2 weeks in the bank for Bonaire that we would like to reschedule. I have a trip of a lifetime to Malpelo that was cancelled last June and rescheduled for this July. I am trying to be optimistic that it will go.

Very best and good diving,

Craig

 

[Kimela]

Hi @Kimela

Read the whole post for context. It was about traveling down to my home in Florida for diving, not international travel. The pre and post testing do not apply. I will still be taking all precautions, mask, distancing, hand washing. The difference is that I will be at less risk for infection, particularly severe disease. I still have to travel by plane, go to the grocery store once, eat all my meals by myself at home, and only encounter others under very controlled circumstances on the dive boats. When I return home to my vaccinated wife with asthma, we will distance, as we have done after the 3 trips in June, July, and Sept. It still takes much of the fun out.

I understand your frustration regarding your plans for Cozumel. We all hope to be able to resume international travel at some point, perhaps when vaccination has reached the majority of people and infection rates, hospitalizations, and deaths have decreased very significantly. My wife and I have 2 weeks in the bank for Bonaire that we would like to reschedule. I have a trip of a lifetime to Malpelo that was cancelled last June and rescheduled for July. I am trying to be optimistic that it will go.

Very best and good diving,

Craig

Craig - with all the threads going I didn't realize I was responding to one that was about Florida, specifically, and not travel in general. I'm sorry. Yesterday, my husband was talking about changing some plans around and going to the Keys instead of Cozumel, and we wondered if there might be some new rules put in place for state to state travel. I don't know if you happened to read my post on another thread about having gotten sick a few days after returning from Cozumel. I feel fairly confident that I picked up something during my 4 hour layover in Miami because I let my guard down and didn't do my normal 'wipe down all surfaces routine' everywhere we sat. Here's to hoping you stay continuously healthy, and your trip to Malpelo happens without a hitch!

 

[Marie13]

I only drive to dive destinations within my region at this time. It’s a lot easier to avoid people. Food is takeout. Gas stops are quick. I’m usually in and out of any hotels early and late so I avoid any possible crowds.

Might drive down to FL cave country in the fall, but I’m not sure about that. Depends on work (remote) and what’s going on with covid in FL. Here in IL, positivity numbers are slowly dropping.

 

[Marie13]

Oops, just saw this was a travel to FL thread. Even if I was a fan of flying (I’m not), I doubt I would get on a plane right now. I’d drive. You have much more control over things. I realize some don’t like road trips. It would be two days each way for me to drive to FL. I happen to love road trips. Get to see parts of the country you wouldn’t see if you were flying.

 

[Rose Robinson]

Hello Everyone,

I have only read a few of the posts on this particular forum and as usual, the answers are are over the map.

When I review a forum and see a photo of some pretty red toenails on a lounge chair, on an otherwise empty Cozumel beach front, I can't help but ask, what's wrong with this picture?

On another similar post, this same member tells us that she got COVID-19 virus on this same trip, I got my answer to, what's wrong with this picture?

Are you willing to play Russian Roulette with your life, the lives of your family and the lives of others you may come into contact with, while you're doing something you should not be doing, is the only question you need ask yourself.

Here in Canada, we remain, for the most part, under lockdown, with some Provinces currently under local movement ban curfews.

In North America, the Pandemic protocols are clear, masks/social distancing/no travel, all seems pretty clear to me.

As I stated before, I am more than happy to recommend a reputable funeral director for your area of residence.

Please don't respond to this post to argue with me, You all know what you're supposed to be doing, please proceed as you see fit.

Your resident Funeral Director,

Rose.

 

[ontdiver]

Your resident Funeral Director, Rose.

Too funny....

 

[lowlysubaruguy]

Well I figured out my covid vacation. I’m going to spend six months recovering from a shoulder surgery. Ive been on the fence as my chances of a great recovery are only so so. It’s gotten worse over the last two years and covid has put a damper on most things I really like to do any way, I was thinking about dragging my boat and travel trailer to Florida staying in an rv park for three months. Live like a hermit diving like it was 1999. Ive been working on arrangements for this surgery since September when I posted this I was going to just give up on the surgery but theres just enough reasons not to travel that it helped me decide so when my surgeon finally got it in motion it gave me the answers I need. Tuesday is the big day, I’m nowhere near as excited as I would be if I was getting my dive gear ready for a big trip.

thanks for all the input it’s interesting to see all the different views.

 

[scubadada]

Hi @lowlysubaruguy

Best of luck and wishing you a quick and complete recovery from your surgery