Steve and I hopped on a flight to British Columbia this past August to celebrate our anniversary in Vancouver and to visit my sister and her partner in Vernon. We felt relatively prepared and comfortable travelling domestically, but we faced a few unexpected challenges related to the pandemic. If your plans include jetting off before we see the other side of the coronavirus, you might benefit from our experience with these pandemic travel considerations.
1. Get the right mask for the plane
Health authorities have reported that the way air circulates and is filtered on a plane makes it harder for viruses to spread. However, you are in very close proximity to others, and the crowded environment in the airport presents a risk too.
Steve and I are on the very cautious side. Even though we’re double-vaxxed, we know it’s still possible to become infected. Yes, we’re pretty unlikely to become very sick, but we aim to get through this pandemic without getting the virus. Even vaccinated people have experienced long-covid symptoms, and we want to keep our risk as low as possible.
So, with that context, we set out to get some N95 masks to use while in transit. We left it too late. About a week before our trip, I could not locate a store selling the kind of N95 we wanted, and it was dicey time-wise to order them online. We found an N95 made by 3M approved by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), but it had a valve for easier breathing, and I knew that had been problematic because those valves allowed aerosols to escape when exhaling. Further research seemed to indicate that the valved 3M mask had CDC (NIOSH) approval. Although these masks are not approved for surgical settings, I found info that said they provided the same high-level protection as a KN95 mask against coronavirus. We decided to buy them. I should have done more research.
When we hit airport security donning our shiny new masks, the agent told us we had to double mask to cover the valve. Ugh. Airport security was not interested in examining the type of valve mask to make a judgement. Obviously. How could I think they would? In the end, we had to cover our N95s with another mask, and the whole thing was a little uncomfortable. It felt very airtight, though. Buy a non-valved N95 or KN95 if you’re travelling by air for the greatest comfort and protection.
2. Understand the health restrictions in effect in the place you are visiting
When we left for BC, our province (Manitoba) was just lifting its indoor mask mandate. For the most part, people in our immediate community did not abandon mask use despite the change. When we arrived in BC, it was a different story. The indoor mask mandate had been lifted long before, and despite the province’s rising case count, it was the exception to see people wearing maks unless a business explicitly required it (e.g. most grocery stores).
There was also no vaccination requirement in BC for patronizing businesses or attractions when we visited.
We quickly resolved to visit only those businesses requiring masks and eat outside at restaurant patios exclusively. We had to add another restaurant criteria when we discover that some places did not even require wait staff to wear masks. For the most part, nice weather and an abundance of outdoor seating options made being choosy easy. Had our vacation been in late fall or winter, it would have been a different story.
Note as of this writing, BC has now reinstated mandated indoor mask use and, as of September 13, 2021, will require proof of vaccination for many businesses and services.
3. Choose your accommodations carefully
Steve is a Hilton Honours member, and we decided to use his languishing loyalty points to book a room for the Vancouver portion of our trip. I wish we would have looked into Hilton’s health and safety protocols for its BC hotels before we registered. Although the hotel encouraged mask use (specifically for those not vaccinated), it did not require face coverings. This meant about half of the hotel’s patrons went maskless, including on the elevators, which there were only two of and which were relatively small.
This policy appeared ludicrous to us. Hilton went to great lengths to emphasize the sanitary cleanliness of its rooms—to the point of putting a “cleanliness seal” on room doors that greeted us when we first entered. The front desk also explained that due to COVID, there would be no daily housekeeping services. Given that the coronavirus spreads almost entirely through the air and not from touching surfaces, these measures amounted to what is known as “hygiene theatre.” If Hilton guests were going to become infected, it would be more likely from unmasked people in the lobby, restaurant, or elevators, not from handling an unsanitized TV remote.
We felt far more comfortable in my sister’s Airbnb, where we were self-contained and could control who came and went. If we had to do it again, we would have opted for an Airbnb over a hotel room for our entire trip.
4. Don’t assume attractions are operating business-as-usual
Responsible businesses have made changes to how they operate to keep their patrons safe during the pandemic. If there are specific attractions you want to make sure that you visit, check ahead of your arrival. We wanted to visit a winery or two while visiting the Okanagan. Thankfully, my sister was aware that many wineries had moved away from spontaneous tasting tours in favour of scheduled small group appointments.
Having to book a tasting session turned out to be a super experience and much better than the cattle call atmosphere created by dozens of people lining up at a bar straining to hear the guide. Mind you, it’s more costly and takes careful planning if you want to hit more than one winery in an afternoon. We paid $25 per person at Mission Hill Estates Winery and booked weeks in advance to get a spot. In the end, it was quite enjoyable, and a good value as the tasting offered three whites and four reds. Our session included our group of three and another couple. We were well spaced out, wore masks when not drinking, and got personal attention from the guide.
5. Prepare to be respectfully assertive
As polite Canadians and folks more on the introverted side, we’re not prone to stick our necks out to complain about things or make waves in any way. When it comes to our health, though, we cast that reserved side of our personalities aside.
On a few occasions, we declined to ride hotel elevators with more than one other person and never with those unmasked. That sometimes meant exiting well before our room floor and refusing to get on an elevator when it arrived. Good thing we don’t mind taking the stairs as that was often the safest alternative.
Have you ventured abroad recently? What pandemic travel considerations would you add to this list?
If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe to Tag Along Travel? Twice a month, you’ll receive an email with links to recent posts.
