This article was published on December 14th, 2020

The global pandemic has resulted in the forced isolation of all us from friends and family for months now with no true end in sight, including the upcoming holidays which will likely be the most memorable of most of our lives – for a lot of the wrong reasons. The holidays are typically one of the times of the year when families come together but there is growing frustration amidst the COVID-19 crisis that social interaction must be suppressed in order to flatten the curve and not endanger more lives in the process. 

Traveling in Fear

The reality is that many people live hundreds of miles away from family members, which can make traveling especially arduous. Compounding the problem is the misinformation from governments and health experts that have many people scratching their heads on how to protect themselves and family members if they do have the opportunity to meet up and connect over the holidays. But many people have no choice but to deal with quarantine measures and extensive testing if they want to visit during the holidays or risk spending Christmas in a solitary state. 

Bracing for Another Surge

With the winter months now setting in, many health officials are warning that infection surges are inevitable as people spend more time indoors instead of in parks and other outdoor spaces. But traveling is another element that factors into surges as traveling by air and bus carries a significant risk.

During the holiday season, millions of people travel by planes, trains, and automobiles both domestically and internationally. The coronavirus debacle has led to travel plans being derailed for the majority of the year and it is expected to persist through 2020.

The risk of seeing loved ones as opposed to staying home is something that travelers are being forced to assess as airlines reconfigure their flights and families devise schemes to socially distance and still be able to see their loved ones. 

Travel Alternatives

Although no one wants to stay home during the Christmas season, one godsend this year has been using Zoom and other virtual platforms to stay in touch with friends and family. This holiday season would be a great time to incorporate a new tradition into your family by making Zoom a huge part of it to connect with family no matter where they may be.

We have already featured some ways to stay in touch with family members and interactive games that can help ‘save’ the holidays. Depending on your family, the possibility is there that you create new engaging activities via Zoom that are more personalized and thus more entertaining. 

If You Must Travel

For some people it may be necessary to travel and that means more precautions must be taken in order to get to your destination safely. If you fall into the category of people that must travel during the holidays, health officials recommend that driving is a better option than flying as there is less risk of coming into direct contact the amount of people that wold be found on buses and planes.

For drivers, you should ensure you have winterized your vehicle. These items include having your winter tires checked, packing an emergency kit, planning your route thoroughly, and minimizing your contact at each stop along the way. If you are traveling with a group, everyone should get tested beforehand and then maintain a social bubble to reduce the potential of contracting COVID-19.

Stay Home This Christmas

Christmas 2020 definitely comes with its own singular set of issues when it comes to travel, but with a bit of preparation and adhering to new health regulations, orders, and guidelines, it still is possible to connect with friends and family members during this holiday season. 

If you think the solution is to stay home and quarantine before or after the holiday’s, that really doesn’t work. It would require you, and every person you are gathering with, to all quarantine in advance, with no cheating, and then to travel to the location without coming into contact with anyone else, which is where the risk comes in.

Basically, if you don’t need to travel, just stay home. Protect yourself and others from transmitting COVID-19. This is not the year to be selfish and travel. It’s one year. That’s it.