How and where to travel safely this summer: Covid-19 Q & A

The coronavirus pandemic has shocked the world’s travel industry and the economy most dependent on tourism. Now, with the deployment of the vaccine, the government is trying to balance the ongoing fight against Covid-19 with allowing the trip to resume.Interview with Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theo Harris, Gloria Guevara, Chief Executive Officer of the World Travel and Tourism Council [WTTC], And Sarah Pitt, a virologist at the University of Brighton in the United Kingdom, talks about the future.

Stephanie Baker: Minister Theo Harris, this summer, and perhaps earlier, there was much talk about vaccine passports starting their journey. We have agreed with Israel to allow vaccinated persons to move freely between the two countries. Do I need vaccinations from travelers from other countries? If so, when?

Harry Theo Harris: Greece is the leader in vaccination passports that enable unrestricted travel. By this summer, vaccinated people are expected to be able to travel without the need to provide restricted quarantine measures or negative test results. People who have not been vaccinated are allowed to travel, but the test must be negative. Our arsenal has two new weapons: a vaccination program and rapid testing. The latter is cost effective, reliable and quick.

Baker: Gloria, it is widely expected that a document of either vaccination or test results will be required to travel.But for example, the World Health Organization [WHO] Yellow fever certificates are plagued by counterfeiting. Countries like the United Kingdom and the United States give people small paper cards after vaccination. How does this work? Do you have a Global Health Pass or do you have competing apps on your mobile phone?

Gloria Guevara: WHO opposed health passports, so we are in perfect agreement with them. WTTC does not support a yellow fever certificate in your health passport. There are some data privacy concerns, as a health passport may contain all the information, including all vaccinations and health conditions you have received throughout your life.

However, WTTC does support the health path. There is an important difference between the two. You need to make the invisible visible and identify the infected individual. The only way to do this is to do a lot of testing. Testing is the solution. You can test before your trip and include the results in your digital path. This pass can be displayed at various points of airlines, hotels, and travel.

If someone is vaccinated, the vaccination must be included in the digital certificate. However, we cannot guarantee that someone will not be able to get the virus after being vaccinated, based on data received from WHO or medical professionals from multiple countries. Therefore, it may be necessary to test everyone, including vaccinated individuals, for a period of time.

Baker: Sarah, there is still limited information about how much to stop the vaccine. Can we really use the vaccination certificate as the key to unlocking the trip until more data comes in? Or do you think testing remains mandatory? If so, how long is it?

Sarah Pitt: There are some early results on how well vaccines from countries that launched vaccination programs in December 2020 and January 2021 work in the “real world.” So far, vaccines definitely seem to reduce a person’s potential. He was seriously ill and was hospitalized due to Covid-19 infection. However, some studies I have seen show that viral infections can still occur. Therefore, the virus is still transmitted at a high rate in many countries, but yes, testing is very important.

In addition, many countries prioritize vaccination of older people, groups at highest risk of serious Covid-19 infection, and groups at high risk of getting the virus (such as healthcare professionals). As a result, young 30-year-old workers working in the office may not receive the first dose of the vaccine until late summer. This is a problem for them if their trip requires vaccination evidence.

Baker: Minister, do you have agreements with other countries? If so, which one are you talking to? If I live in the UK, when can I travel to Greece?

Theo Harris: We feel that an agreement like Israel is a way forward. They serve as templates for gradually and safely resuming tourism. The United Kingdom, the United States, Russia, Serbia and Ukraine are one of the countries we are technically discussing. Of course, we hope that the European Union will work together to eliminate the need for bilateral talks and agreements.

The test stays here

Baker: Gloria, if testing continues to be a permanent feature of travel-similar to the liquid-free rules of airplanes-is a short city break a thing of the past, given the cost of testing and possible quarantine?

Guevara: Short urban breaks continue as the sector proposes to carry out low-cost, high-efficiency testing prior to departure. Therefore, a test of up to $ 10 per person is sufficient to isolate infected people and apply before departure. At the same time, by following protocols such as wearing masks, disinfecting, and everything we know, you can minimize risk and resume international mobility.

Baker: Greece welcomed visitors last summer and offered useful lessons for other countries that want to resume. What have you learned and what you are doing to keep tourists safe this year?

Theo Harris: We need to constantly monitor the situation and act appropriately. Boundary testing is essential for a safe restart. I have installed an artificial intelligence system to be tested.It was supplied by the passenger locator form [PLF] Data (mandatory PLF digital filing), national public epidemiological data, and the results of proprietary tests at the border. It doubled the effectiveness of limited test resources and warned in advance that the situation in certain countries was deteriorating 7-10 days before public data. As a result, we have been very successful in protecting our population. Finally, it is very important that the private sector implements health and safety procedures carefully.

Baker: There is still a lot of tension in the flight. Some say it’s safer for airlines to keep the central seat open. Gloria, does that make a difference? What is the proof of the claim that the flight is safe?

Guevara: First of all, the best protection you can have during your flight is to wear a mask. Second, according to the aircraft manufacturer, the aircraft has a filter that filters the air every three minutes. This is the same as done in a hospital operating room. The best protection you can have is to wear a mask and use a hand sanitizer.

Baker: Sarah, UK, has announced that the ban on overseas travel will be in effect until May 17, but the government will consider the rules in mid-April. What steps should the UK take to balance public health priorities with the needs of a one-year closed industry?

pit: We really need to be very careful. To protect public health during the summer, I think the government should make mistakes on the side of compensating travel and tourism for lost income. That way, you can actually control the virus with a lower infection rate than expected in the summer.

Fly with a child

Baker: Approved vaccines have not been tested in children under the age of 16. All three tell us how the country could treat their families if their parents are vaccinated but their children are not vaccinated. Are they just tested, and how old are they?

Theo Harris: Current regulations stipulate that a test over the age of 12 is required. No firm decision has been made at this time, but we will probably continue to follow that rule.

Guevara: The world’s private sector is completely opposed to vaccination as a travel requirement. This is because it can cause wrong behavior and create two layers of citizenship. Currently, supply is limited and many developing countries do not even have a vaccination calendar. We believe that it will take years for 7 billion people on this planet to be vaccinated, and children under the age of 16 still need to be tested. Vaccination is not the only solution. The test is included as part of the travel experience.

pit: We know that infants are unlikely to be infected with Covid-19, but we believe they can be infected with the virus. Older children and teens can get sick and become infected with the virus. Therefore, if you plan to test your child, you should include a child over the age of five.

Baker: Gloria, many countries are eager to welcome tourists to kickstart their economy. Which country other than Greece successfully prepared for tourism during the Covid era? Also, given that the EU is lagging behind in vaccine deployment, is it safe to take a vacation in Europe this year?

Guevara: There are several countries, like Greece, that have done a good job of providing travelers with solid and clear rules. This is the foundation for a successful resumption of tourism. Iceland has clear rules, many in the EU and some in Asia and the Americas. Follow the protocol and expect quick testing as part of your experience. As an example, Spain, France, Portugal, Italy and Germany have defined these clear rules and will be announced shortly.

International Travel Corridor

Baker: Sarah, should people consider choosing a destination that has few covids or has an advanced vaccination program? There are some tourist destinations where Covid cases are zero or negligible. I think it’s the Bahamas or Mauritius. And the deployment of vaccines in the United States is gaining momentum. However, it seems that Europe is still behind in vaccination this summer. So does it make sense to have a corridor to areas with low infection rates or high vaccination rates?

pit: It makes some sense to have a travel corridor between countries with low infection rates and countries with high immunization rates. However, the government needs to agree on the risks that were ready to take in the summer of 2021. Is it just a trip from a low-infected / high-vaccinated country to another similar country? Does that mean that people in countries where vaccines are not yet available will be prevented from traveling?

Baker: Sarah, the vaccine developer, is working on a new shot targeting a new variant. When do you think boosters will be available? six months? one year? And wouldn’t it add another layer of complexity to your trip to show that you have your booster?

pit: Vaccines in widespread use today used very new science and technology and were manufactured very quickly. Scientists and manufacturers know what they are doing, so they can fine-tune the vaccine to create a new version within a few months. So yes, 6 months would be reasonable. It may bring extra complexity, but I hope the full course (two doses with most vaccines) will give a satisfactory level of protection.

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