Key guidelines to keep in mind for a road trip during Covid-19
The Covid-19 pandemic has dramatically altered so many spheres of life, including travel. Under the current circumstances, the ‘new normal’ requires so much planning and careful consideration of various factors, particularly health.
For many who have endured the storm, the end of the year is sneaking up, and travel plans from cities like Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, etc. to join friends and family for the holidays are in full steam all against the backdrop of a pandemic. Travelling and gathering with others, probably the most universal holiday tradition, has never required so much meticulous forethought.
With all the twists and turns, lockdown stress and anxiety, insecurity around health and careers, financial scares that the year has thrown at individuals, couples and families, a road trip for the holidays is a worthwhile consideration. What can beat a drive through the vast landscape with hidden and unlikely places like Brakpan, Springs, Boksburg and many others which are endowed with sights and sounds of rivers, mountains, lush vegetation, and fresh air? At this point in time, a gaze in the wilderness, a breath of fresh air, a stop at the river bank, and a walk on the grass with animals grazing in the distance is the perfect therapy you need.
What are the key guidelines you must keep in mind on a road trip during Covid-19?
Service your vehicle and plan your route
Before you depart, make sure your car is in good shape. Consider having it serviced to make sure tyres, breaks, lights, and the engine are in tip top shape. Then, take time to map out the roadways you’ll be taking and the towns you’ll be passing through — be aware of any relevant travel advisories like infection rates and medical interventions. You also need to check if there are restrictions in place at your destination. Do you need to quarantine if you’re arriving from a COVID-19 hotspot? Plot out where small towns with petrol stations and grocery stores are along the way. Are non-essential services or restaurants open there, and during what hours?
Packing and sanitizing
After planning, get your supplies in order. This includes products for keeping hands and surfaces clean and sanitized. You’ll want to wear a mask in all indoor public places, or outdoor spaces where you can’t maintain a 6-foot distance from others, so bring plenty of extras. Also bring a nice stash of water and snacks, allowing you to limit the number of times you need to stop for refreshments. Good hygiene on the road should be maintained like at home (for instance, washing hands thoroughly with soap and water before eating and after using the restroom), but requires extra vigilance when it comes to high-traffic roadside stops.
Travel with quarantine partners
A road trip fits squarely into the social distancing trip requirement during this COVID-19 outbreak as you’ll be enjoying the outdoors from the safety of your car. What can get tricky though, is your choice of travel buddies. If you are planning to take the trip with three separate friends who have been staying with different groups of people, you might be tempting trouble without much effort. While your buddies may look healthy, they may be asymptomatic carriers of the COVID-19 virus, and before you know it, your car may just turn into a running virus-mobile! So, stick to people you are quarantining with and remember to maintain adequate physical distance.
First aid kit
Never go on a road trip without a first aid kit. Some of the key things to pack include: a snake bite kit, tourniquet (something to wrap above a spider bite), compression bandages, band aids, antibiotics, tampons, space blanket, antiseptic cream, antiseptic wipes, saline solution, triangle bandage, tweezers, scissors, antihistamines, basic pain killers, CPR mask, hydra lite, sunscreen and zinc, water purification tablets, aqua ear, eye drops, moisturizing cream, hand sanitizer, sunglasses/safety glasses and mosquito repellent.
Payment methods
Pay for gas and food with cards, not cash. This eliminates the face-to-face interaction necessary for a cash transaction, and cards — but not cash — can always be cleaned with a disinfectant wipe after use.
Dining
Restaurants in many places have resumed dine-in service — but expect changes like limits on the number of guests allowed inside and extra space between tables. If you sit down, make sure you wipe the surface and sanitise where necessary. In towns where a sit-down meal still isn’t allowed, drive-through and takeout service are typically available instead.
Sleeping
If you need to stay in a hotel overnight, call ahead to confirm your reservation. If you are staying more than one night, feel free to contact the front desk and ask to forgo housekeeping services, allowing you to control sanitization and limit the number of people who come in and out of your room during your stay. Bring your own pillows and pillowcases if staying in a hotel, and carry a sleep sheet.
The guidelines above if well observed should see you enjoy a healthy and refreshing road trip through various towns and places. You can count on Afristay to be your travel partner with regards to planning your trip and securing affordable and ideal accommodation during the trip and at your destination.
