outofofficebrb
HARRO HUNNAYYY
Dive Assure has clauses that allow for this to be covered with a few caveats - you would have had to purchase the policy at least 30 days in advance before it can be in effect and obviously purchased before a travel warning or issue is declared. e.g., if you buy the policy a week before or even after the philippines decides they're not letting anyone in who has been transiting or in hong kong, china, or taiwan in the last 14 days, it won't work because it has been 30 days or you also bought it after it was announced. If the pandemic started before your trip but you purchased the policy ahead of the pandemic being announced by at least 30 days or any of the other travel warnings and restrictions, you would be fine.
I actually think that their terms and conditions on health situations and travel warnings are not specific enough and I think that is a benefit for us and not them. When push comes to shove, exclusions or specific clauses that are specifically stated with good definitions are difficult to argue but the way they have it worded without specific definitions or examples leaves it much in our favor.
I am not in a high risk group and have no underlying conditions which would make me more susceptible or immunocompromised so I am not that worried. I am not concerned about potential quarantine time, but I also have a flexible work situation. There are photos of people in bunny suits on the streets sanitizing sidewalks, etc. Given how the media has been providing a lot of coverage and continual reports, I am sure anything short of this would lead to a lot of pressure from people to ask why their government isn't sending people out in bunny suits and to do more. There is currently a worldwide shortage of masks due to demand. Just because we can't buy it on the shelves even in my home country doesn't mean that it's as big of a problem in my home country - it simply means that there's no inventory due to the worldwide shortage and that if there were any available, they are probably optimizing that inventory where it makes a bigger impact - near "ground zero" and in that geographic region. I'm not saying this is insignificant. I don't think everyone needs to be running around in masks everywhere. Some places, yes, I think precautions should be taken.
There have been reports of people testing positive but being asymptomatic but being carriers of the virus with the concern that people can still transmit it to someone else. People who react mildly to this virus probably aren't getting logged as having it either. I think statistics of fatality rate are skewed and if anything, skewed higher. Is it highly contagious? Yes. However, honestly, I don't think certain countries who say they don't have it actually don't (hello, Indonesia)....which further skews the actual fatality rate. I'm not saying I disagree with everyone who chooses not to travel. It is a personal risk assessment everyone has to make for themselves.
I think the marginal difference of this virus compared to the flu is causing a disproportionate exponential amount of media attention and international attention. I think the "new" and "unknown" makes it scary for many people and I understand that.
