A couple of days ago, I published a post referencing a website that lists applicable travel restrictions for each country. That post also refers to a continuously updated International Air Transport Association website that is even more detailed. (Unfortunately, IATA prohibits mass distribution of that information, but you can see it on the IATA website.) Those sites are very handy tools to assess the ability to travel internationally.
To find the restrictions for travel to a given country, just click on the map on the website. You will see that currently discretionary travel options are extremely limited no matter what country you are from.
Many countries are completely closed to foreigners while others admit some foreigners subject to a variable mix of restrictions including quarantines, self-isolation, COVID-19 tests, temperature checks, health declarations, and medical certifications.
The U.S. Department of State advises people in the U.S. to avoid all international travel. It recommends further that United States residents who are abroad should return to the United States as soon as possible unless they are prepared to remain out of the country indefinitely. In other words, depending on COVID-19 infection rates in places they visit or travel through, U.S. residents who leave the country have no guarantee they will be allowed to come home. Not being allowed to return to their home country is a risk faced by every international traveler, not just U.S. residents.
COVID-19 is also limiting U.S. domestic travel. When the pandemic was rampant in New York State and surrounding areas, many southern states instituted quarantines on people arriving from the northeast. Now the virus is ravaging Florida, Texas and other southern states, and states in the northeast are instituting restrictions on travel from the new hot spots.
There is no coordinated approach to ending this crisis. Our federal government is sitting on the sidelines with its thumb up its butt. The CDC issues weak guidelines that the President then encourages people to ignore. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration refuses to issue rules for workplace safety. Instead, we have whack-a-mole responses from governors, mayors, school boards, and businesses each with their own ideas, solutions, and timing.
WTF! The inability to get a handle on COVID-19 and put this pandemic in the rear-view mirror is really starting to piss me off! Pardon my French. That statement is not about politics. It is about facts and frustrations. We know how to beat it. We just don’t have the kind of leadership that is required to do it. I’m willing to endure some pain and frustration if there was a rational plan to get through the crisis in a reasonable amount of time. That there is no such plan nationally or internationally is simply incomprehensible and confounding.
Yesterday, I saw a very interesting post on Terry Madeley’s blog Miscellaneous details that contained a Covid-19 time-lapse video showing the course of the pandemic’s growth worldwide. The video was eyeopening. I found a similar time-lapse video from Global Stats that presents even more relevant information. It covers the progress of the virus through June 29, 2020. Please take a look.
I think the video even undercounts the number of cases because there is evidence that the virus was circulating outside of China before December 2019.
Countries like South Korea and Taiwan have done an excellent job of containment within their borders. To protect their citizens and avoid squandering the hard work they have already done, countries with low rates of infection cannot open their borders until the rest of the world does equally as well. Hong Kong was an early success story, but it has twice had to reimpose restrictions on the economy and travel when returning residents or visitors brought the virus back.
Final Thoughts
It is apparent to this layman that in the absence of effective, coordinated efforts, the virus will continue to spread from state to state and country to country until transmission is halted through a vaccine or herd immunity. It will take months of continued suffering and death to achieve herd immunity or before there is a safe and effective vaccine, if any, that is available in sufficient quantities worldwide. We could have done much better. That makes the situation even more vexing.
A very interesting and informative post! So articulate! Love your blog! 💙
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Thank you so much for the kind words. I also enjoy your blog.😊
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Thanks for this informative post. I’m not a global traveler as you are, but can understand well your frustration. A neighbor returned to India earlier this year to take care of his mother’s final burial rites. He has not been able to return home to his wife and son who live here in Los Angeles.
The Global Stats COVID-19 time lapse video clip is impactful. It seems as though the trajectory of cases in the USA is headed out into interstellar space with Brazil chasing to keep up. The good news is that the global death rate is falling.
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Interesting. I hope your neighbor is able to return soon. There was an announcement of flights to/from India and US restarting soon. Which is strange because that doesn’t mean the US is letting people in yet. At least I can understand the issues with travel. What is hard to accept is the awful way the US is dealing with the virus. Thanks for your comment!
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What a informative post. And so many thought provoking comments. People have different perception about it han.
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I think many are very frustrated by being unable to travel. How about you? 😊
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I have never made money with WP and I believe it is certainly not a job
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The same for me. 😞
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May I ask you what job you do that has allowed you all these trips.
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I am retired unless you consider the big bucks from a WP blog to be employment. 🙄🤣
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Yet I am convinced that:
1) we know how to beat it
2) we just don’t have the kind of leadership that is required to do it
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Agreed!
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that video was fascinating, and a great set of comments on your post. I am scheduled to go back to teaching in one month. I’ll admit I am a bit nervous about it, and it will be a challenge teaching with a mask on…
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I remember a bit of your post about preparations for the school year. It sounded like a very good work. I’m sure you will keep us posted on how things turn out.
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I am sure I will be able to squeeze a couple of posts out of it 🙂
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Our world is in a disaster…being in lockdown is driving me nuts. I try to think we can get back on track by January….
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I hope January is doable. It is hard not knowing when things will improve.
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A crazy time we are in..
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With no end in sight unfortunately.
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I am so glad that I traveled so much in the last few years. Happy to be home now and reading and writing and meditating 😊
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That is one good side of not traveling. There is also plenty to do at home.
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So true 😇
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It is too bad this has become such a partisan issue in the U.S., with the WH attempting to discredit the CDC and the chief doctors to enhance their chances of being reelected. Covid 19 does not give a good GD if you are a Dem or a Rep. It will infect anyone. Sometimes, instead of telling the people what they want to hear, they need to tell the people the truth (based on science). Things will not go back to anywhere near normal until people forget their own selfishness and look out for the common good. Physically distance (practice safe six), wear a mask when you can’t (to protect others) and limit your trips out in public. It is like Spock in Star Trek, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Here, up North, our case rates are 3% of that in US (based on pop, we should be at 10% if all things were equal), deaths are at 6% of that in U.S and recovered cases are at 40% in the U.S and over 75% here. And yet, we are still aware that this thing could easily go sideways on us. An entire hospital in our nearby capital city has been shut down due to infections (6o cases and 6 deaths). Strong central leadership (based on science, not hunches) is what is needed. I, for one have no intention of expanding my bubble just yet, travelling in a plane or on a train or going into a store without a mask. We must take our own health in our own hands, if nobody else gets it. Personal rights be damned. Sorry, it really hurts me to watch this.
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I love the “practice safe six” phrase and Spock reference. The US should learn from Canada and other countries that are treating the pandemic seriously. Unfortunately, Donald Trump is a one-trick pony. The virus is impervious to lies, bullying, and flattery and it doesn’t discriminate based on political affiliation as you say. Thanks for a very helpful contribution to the discussion.
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In Italy we were locked in ours houses from 03/12 to 05/04. My region (Lombardy) becamed RED ZONE from 03/09. Stores and malls reopened normally at 05/18. The country was in totally lockdown for almost 2 months. Also now there are restrictions.
Disinformation is creating caos and confusion…”You have to wear the mask! Oh no, sorry, you don’t have to!!” “Today people infected are 10…no sorry, they are 23…ops sorry, they are 52…” “You can go out but you can’t” Everyday like this. People are tired.
During the lockdown we were allowed to go to the supermarket but not for a walk alone. We had to combat against fines from 400 to 5000 euros. ABSOLUTELY CRAZY!!!! A lot of people lost their job…and it seem is going even worse…If italians people want to leave the country is possible now but get out from EU borders is forbidden…I am really tired of this.
Sorry for the long comment. And sorry for grammar mistakes. 😉
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I think the problem is that nobody knows what is really happening. We bloggers from all around the world should have a zoom sending where we could update each other on what is going on in each country. Media is definitely not trust worthy. 1. Journalists are also humans with Their limitations.
2. Who is feeding the media?
3. What is real news and what is fake news?
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Good points! None of us are in hospitals and morgues counting cases and deaths. There has to be a little faith involved. I think people and sources that have been truthful and accurate in the past should be trusted now unless there is good evidence to the contrary. It should take more corroborating evidence to believe people and sources that have knowingly given false information previously. Self interest must always be factored in to evaluating the veracity of statements and sources. A blogging zoom session sounds like fun as well as being informative. 😊
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I am really sorry, but I do not have faith in the sources when it comes to what is happening now and the information we Get. I do not necessarily think that the trustfull sources feed us with fake info, but we are Living in a very complex world in this digital era. All the contrary information from different channels. Yes, zoom meeting would be a good idea. Every day life from different parts of the world during this corona time
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I believe most people are honest and don’t knowingly give false information. For professionals reputation can be their most valuable asset. You can fool people for a while but eventually the truth will be apparent. Having been in the legal field, issues of credibility are familiar. People often think that in situations where it is one person’s word against another, the truth can’t be known. That is false. There are many ways to evaluate the veracity of statements including just basic common sense. The world and this situation are complex which makes the evaluation harder and less certain but it can be done. Furthermore, what may seem confusing now is often clarified over time.
My everyday life is very boring. That is part of my frustration. I stay home most days. When I go out it is usually to the supermarket or walks in the park. Great comments!
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Someone told my dental hygienist that Covid-19 would disappear in November after the election because it is a political hoax. Neither of us believe that but it does make me wonder how gullible many are. I’m nostalgic for the days when we disagreed about political issues and not cult of personality preferences.
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I totally agree. Some people act like they have no ability to observe and evaluate objectively. They are happy to be living in a fantasy world.
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I personally prefer a more positive fantasy if I were to have one. Lol.
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Makes me so mad when people say that! I know some educated people that actually believe it’s a hoax, it totally blows my mind!! I live in NYC and most people wear masks, and it’s amazing to see how far the city has come.
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Hoax or no hoax (it is not a hoax) COVID-19 will not disappear as long as either party finds it politically advantageous. I agree that New York did a fantastic job with little help from the feds. As long as there is community spread anywhere in the US, no one can relax. Masks, social distancing and other measures remain the best line of defense.
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