Learn how simple heading home safely can be with the third and final part of ALG Vacations’™ guide to traveling in line with CDC requirements.
“That was surprisingly simple.”
After your flight touches down in the U.S., those should be the words running through your head if you’ve been following our guide for traveling under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requirements. The next, as you reflect on how reenergized you feel: Well worth it.
So now that you’re back in your hometown, your vacation sadly at an end, what could be left on your travel checklist? A few final safety measures for peace of mind.
1. Follow State Guidelines
Post-travel requirements will depend on where you live. Your state may ask you to quarantine, or require a negative COVID-19 test result, which you’ll already have in hand from your flight home. Be sure to follow all guidelines to do your part to stop the spread, and reach out to a public health official if you have any questions.
Pro-tip: Your employer may have rules of their own. Check with them to see if there are any actions you need to take—or refrain from—now that your out of office message is off.
2. Keep Your Test Results Safe
... But not in a place “for safe keeping” you’ll never find again! Upload digital results to your personal cloud or other easily accessible places. For paper copies, scan the original or take a picture with your phone, then make additional hard copies to file with your other important paperwork.
While the odds of a health official asking to see your results are low, you don’t want to take the chance you can’t produce it if asked.
Pro-tip: Worried about holding on to your attestation form? Don’t be. You only need one copy to give to the airline, which they will keep for their records.
3. Testing, Testing, One More Time
By this time, you should be an old pro at testing, but you’ll only need one more COVID test to satisfy CDC guidelines. While not mandatory, they recommend being retested 3 – 5 days after travel as a precaution.
If you prefer not to get tested a second time, the CDC suggests quarantining for 10 days at home to prevent any potential spread.
Pro-tip: When you’re making your other travel plans, see if you can book a testing appointment in advance. Your test will already be on the schedule and one less thing to have to think about once you’re home.
4. Stay In to Help Others Stay Healthy
In addition to testing, the CDC makes one other safety recommendation for recent travelers: stay in until you’re sure. Even if your second test result is negative, health experts suggest staying home (or self-quarantining) for 7 – 10 days after arriving in the U.S. as an added safeguard.
Pro-tip: With so many companies offering extra flexibility during the pandemic, ask if you can work from home for the week or so after you return from vacation. You’ll be able to follow CDC guidelines without missing work—a win all around.
5. Pay Attention to How You Feel
If you have a fever, call your doctor. If you have a cough or trouble breathing, call your doctor. Basically, follow normal procedure, and don’t go out if you’re feeling sick.
Pro-tip: You can learn more about coronavirus symptoms and when to seek emergency medical attention by visiting the CDC's dedicated webpage.
With that, your studies on CDC-compliant traveling are at a close … which means you are ready to travel anywhere your wanderlust takes you, from Mexico to the Caribbean and beyond.
And if any issue does arise? You’ll have ALG Vacations behind you to help keep your travels safe travels, every time.
