‘You might want to think twice’ about going to COVID-19 hot spots

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The State of Ohio does not currently have any specific travel restrictions, but Governor Mike DeWine reminded people Tuesday to use common sense if they are traveling, especially to COVID-19 hot spots.

“It’s hard to really exactly determine what impact that has,” DeWine said of people traveling to hot spots. “It’s not always where someone goes. It’s what they do when they go there.”

DeWine contrasted someone coming back from Florida who has been at bars and restaurants each night with someone who went to Florida and stayed in the house or hotel except to go to the beach, noting that those are two different situations.

He advised Ohioans it may not be the best time to go to some of those COVID-19 hot spots.

“We have spread in Ohio. We’re not denying that,” DeWine said. “We have a serious situation in Ohio. But there’s some other states that are red hot, and you might want to think twice about going to those states.”

He urged people to exercise caution and common sense.

Dr. Mark Cameron, an infectious disease researcher and associate professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine offered his thoughts on people traveling and bringing COVID-19 back to Ohio: “We know people are coming back from other states infected, having been exposed to their particular case level. But if those states need quarantine measures upon return, so does Ohio, we aren’t exemplary any longer and we can’t just point to travel cases.”

Following restrictions while traveling

Dr. Jasmien Lewis is the owner of Travel Life Services and said right now, her agency is “just trying to make sure that all of our clients are safe.”

Lewis said there is a lot of domestic travel right now and that beach destinations are among the most popular for people resuming travel, as well as New York, New Jersey and Myrtle Beach. But she wants to make sure her clients do their homework before traveling.

“Take their mask, their hand sanitizer, their wipes, whatever they have to sanitize,” Lewis said. “If they’re staying in a hotel room, if they’re going to be using public restrooms, they want to wash their hands, wipes, wipe themselves off and down their hands.”

She also urged people to research and follow the guidelines of the specific destinations to which they’re traveling, especially if they’re returning home to loved ones who might become ill.

“If they’re not worried about it, they still have some loved ones that they would be worried about getting it,” Lewis said. “So if they do travel, I mean, we can’t tell them not to, right? But at least be safe about it. Social distance and wear a mask when required to wear the mask, and for their own safety, they can wear it whenever they want and just making sure they wash their hands and take care of themselves.”

She noted that most of the people booking through her agency are going to drive to their destinations, but there are some who will fly, “and they want to know if they’re going to have someone sitting next to them in a middle seat [and] what kind of requirements are there for a mask on an airplane.”

Lewis said she reiterates the guidelines to her clients, including mask-wearing and maintaining social distancing, especially if they’re going to bars or place that are “really unsafe.”

“Really, it’s just about being safe and just making sure that they take the necessary precautions, using common sense,” Lewis said. “I know that gets thrown around very lightly, but common sense is very important.”

While there has been a decrease in travel compared to last year, and Lewis acknowledged there are “still a lot of people that are not comfortable with traveling,” she said a lot of clients are coming to her agency to book next year’s travel already.

“So they’re ready to get going,” Lewis said. “They just are a little apprehensive [about] doing it right now versus maybe a few months from now or even next year.”

AAA East Central, which covers a region including Northeast Ohio, wants to emphasize that those who are traveling should be prepared and do their research.

“We always recommend that it’s a personal choice to travel, so it’s up to the client to travel or not travel,” said Marita Williams, AAA East Central manager of product development and travel promotions.

She recommended that people check the CDC guidelines and that they might use AAA’s map outlining various state and local restrictions.

“It’s fluid, so what we might tell you today might be different when you travel on Friday of this week or on Friday next week,” Williams said.

She added, “Whether you’re driving, flying or taking a train, or however you’re getting to your destination. you want to make sure that you’re prepared and you know what those guidelines are once you arrive there.”

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