The COVID-19 Report: Your Travels & Insurance

If you’ve tried to book a trip or traveled to see family in the last several months, you’ll understand very well why everyone keeps saying that “the COVID-19 pandemic is a rapidly evolving situation”. Governments and health officials have had to be flexible in order to respond to varying infection and hospitalization rates, forcing businesses to either adapt or close. All this has made travel extremely difficult.

The anxiety and uncertainty that stems from evolving restrictions have taken a huge toll on the travel and tourism industry. When you’re going from one jurisdiction to another (even within the same country), it can be difficult to know which rules to follow.

Today, we’ll take a look at the most up-to-date info on travel during COVID-19, and show you how travel insurance can be used to protect both yourself and your trip.

The Latest News on Travel During COVID-19

Travel around and into the United States is overseen by a variety of governmental agencies, including the State Department and the office of the President.

Currently, foreign nationals who were present in any of the following areas 14 days before their travel have been prohibited from entering the United States:

• China
• Iran
• The European Schengen area (including France, Portugal, and Germany)
• The United Kingdom
• The Republic of Ireland
• Brazil

Certain exceptions have been made for U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, diplomats, and some close family members of citizens or permanent residents. All of these restrictions have been announced by the President, whose latest proclamation on June 22^nd barred “certain immigrants and nonimmigrants who present a risk to the U.S. labor market”.

Since June 22^nd, there have been no changes in these restrictions. However, since it remains within the President’s control to enact these measures at any time in response to changing virus trends, it can be hard to predict when they will change, or whether new restrictions will be added. 

Additionally, many individual states within the United States have enacted their own rules and restrictions, mandating safety measures like mask use and 14 days of quarantine upon arrival.

Safety Measure to Take Before Travel

Once you’ve determined that travel to your destination is possible, the next step is determining what safety measures are recommended. In the United States, these guidelines are offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has many resources on travel during COVID-19. 

At minimum, most airlines operating in the United States require passengers to wear a mask at all times. Failure to do so may result in either a temporary or permanent ban from travel with that airline.

Although there are many precautions you can take to protect yourself from illness, sometimes the unthinkable can happen. In those situations, it helps to have travel insurance that can help safeguard against unexpected medical expenses. 

Does Travel Insurance Cover Pandemics?

As the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved, so has travel insurance. Now, many different types of insurance offer varying levels of coverage, including for COVID-19-related cases.

Whether you’re going to stay with family in the United States, or have finally gotten permanent residency and need temporary health coverage, it’s important to ensure that your travel insurance  some provision for illness due to COVID-19. Not all travel insurance covers pandemics, so it’s important to read the fine print of every plan carefully.

Find the Best Travel Insurance with Visitor Guard®

If you’re going to be traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s essential to make sure you’re investing in a travel insurance plan that will protect you in the event you develop the virus.

At Visitor Guard®, we specialize in helping travelers find the best insurance plans to protect them from any eventuality, including COVID-19. Some plans that we often recommend to travelers who need COVID-19 protection include Patriot America Plus, Atlas Premium America, and many more with reasonable monthly premiums.

To get your trip started on the right foot, contact our reliable and responsive customer support team to learn which plan is best for your needs.