In case you don’t follow us on Facebook, last week Stacey issued a ten minute video on travel advisories, warmings and COVID-19 (she thought it was pretty slick that once she did this, others very quickly followed suit so we just want to recap it here. (You may view the video HERE.)
FIRST – What is a Travel Advisory?
Travel Advisories are issued by the U.S. State Department – you can see all this info HERE. They come in four levels:
Level 1 – Exercise Normal Precautions: This is the lowest advisory level for safety and security risk. There is some risk in any international travel. Conditions in other countries may differ from those in the United States and may change at any time.
Level 2 – Exercise Increased Caution: Be aware of heightened risks to safety and security. The Department of State provides additional advice for travelers in these areas in the Travel Advisory. Conditions in any country may change at any time.
Level 3 – Reconsider Travel: Avoid travel due to serious risks to safety and security. The Department of State provides additional advice for travelers in these areas in the Travel Advisory. Conditions in any country may change at any time.
Level 4 – Do Not Travel: This is the highest advisory level due to greater likelihood of life-threatening risks. During an emergency, the U.S. government may have very limited ability to provide assistance. The Department of State advises that U.S. citizens not travel to the country or to leave as soon as it is safe to do so. The Department of State provides additional advice for travelers in these areas in the Travel Advisory. Conditions in any country may change at any time.
If you have travel plans for 2020, here is a good map to use for assessing the risk at your destination – you simply click on your destination to see the recommendation.
SECOND – What is COVID-19 and Who is Affected the Most?
In simple terms – it’s a virus, just like the flu. And symptoms are similar. The biggest difference is the severe health risk it poses to older people and people with compromised systems. Here is a solid Q&A document for reference. And here is a good resource for how both are similar and also different.
To keep it simple – here’s a quick “cheat sheet” with 5 Simple Facts
THIRD – What do the actual numbers look like?
This is ever evolving as new cases are reported. BUT – here’s a good site showing “the numbers” by country – AND also showing recovery rates. Just because a person has been diagnosed is not a death sentence – and better – they pose no threat after they’ve recovered.
As of today, March 11, 2020 – here’s some good news:
Make no mistake, we aren’t taking this lightly and are monitoring the information daily, often throughout the day.
We feel exceptionally lucky to be in the demographic that does not put us at high risk – but if you do not feel that way, or are concerned about your trip, please CALL US or reach out.
This isn’t our first rodeo – We’ve been working with you through 9/11, SARS, MERS. H1N1 (that one in particular had 12,000 deaths in the USA), homegrown terrorism, floods, droughts, you name it – and our sole focus is to help you make the best decision possible with regard to your sacred vacation time.
In so doing, we are also monitoring other professional recommendations, and in particular, Condé Nast Traveler also has some very valuable resources, in particular Coronavirus Travel: Ten Steps to Follow Before Rethinking Your Plans.
As good horse folks, let’s do what we do best – assess the current situation, monitor it, and keep riding as best we can!
If you’d like to speak to Stacey directly, please feel free to reach out via this websites Contact Form or 800.973.3221.