While technology has certainly decreased the need for business travel, sometimes there’s just no substituting an in-person meeting. If going on the road is a necessity for you and your business, use these tips to travel safely.
Select transportation and accommodation options carefully.
If you’re traveling by plane, you’ll be happy to know most airlines have significantly increased their cleaning and disinfecting practices. The majority of planes are equipped with HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters that recycle and refresh the air every 2-3 minutes. Some carriers, though, are starting to increase their passenger capacity. Researching and selecting a travel carrier with the strongest safeguards in place will go a long way in reducing the risk of exposing employees to COVID-19 while traveling.
The same considerations would apply to hotels. The Safe Travel Barometer recently released a list of the safest places to stay, based on their cleaning and sanitation practices.
Review health orders and restrictions for your destination.
Public health orders vary from state to state. For example, some states require out-of-state travelers to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival, while others haven’t implemented a mask mandate. If you’re traveling out of state, or even outside your county, you should review specific public health orders for that region in advance.
Prepare a pandemic travel kit.
- Masks. These days it’s a good idea to have a few spare masks, especially if you’ll be away from home overnight.
- Hand sanitizer. If you have to touch a surface or a common area (think car rental counter and hotel elevator call buttons), immediately use a hand sanitizer.
- Disinfectant wipes. Use bleach-based or hydrogen-peroxide-based wipes to clean and disinfect surfaces in your hotel room or meeting room.
- A smartphone sanitizer. You probably touch your phone as often as you touch your face, making it like petri dish. A smartphone sanitizer uses UV light to sanitize phones from germs and viruses.
Take precautions when you return.
Whether you decide to take a COVID test or self-quarantine for an extended period of time, it’s important to minimize your risk of infecting co-workers.
The pandemic will likely redefine travel for the foreseeable future. And while the safest approach might be to stay home, travel is essential for many businesses. Adopting pandemic-conscious travel tips can help reduce the risk of becoming sick and infecting others.