Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Staying home during the COVID-19 Pandemic is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.

Travel increases your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. So don’t travel if you are sick or if you have been around someone with COVID-19 in the past 14 days. Also, don’t travel with someone who is sick. Keep in mind that you can get COVID-19 during your travels. You may feel well and not have any symptoms, but you can still spread COVID-19 to others. You and your travel companions (including children) may spread COVID-19 to other people including your family, friends, and community for 14 days after you were exposed to the virus.

Your chances of exposure are higher if you come into close contact with others, especially people you don’t know, or use shared public facilities (like restrooms).

Before you travel, consider the following:

Is COVID-19 spreading at your destination? The more cases at your destination, the more likely you are to get infected during travel and spread the virus to others when you return.

Are you at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19? Anyone can get very ill from the virus that causes COVID-19, but older adults and people of any age with certain underlying medical conditions are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

Does your destination have requirements or restrictions for travelers? Check the destination's requirements for information and details about entry requirements and restrictions for arriving travelers before you travel. Many are requiring people to wear masks, have mandatory testing or quarantine.

If you are traveling abroad, check CDC’s COVID-19 Travel Recommendations by Destination before planning your trip.

If you have to travel during pandemic, during your trip, take steps to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.

How to protect yourself and others from COVID-19:

Wear a mask to keep your nose and mouth covered when in public settings, including on public transportation and in transportation hubs such as airports and stations.

Avoid close contact by staying at least 6 feet apart (about 2 arms’ length) from anyone who is not from your household.

Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol).

Avoid contact with anyone who is sick.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

We all know that air travel requires spending time in security lines and airport terminals, which can bring us in close contact with other people and frequently touched surfaces. Most viruses and other germs do not spread easily on flights because of how air circulates and is filtered on airplanes. However, keeping our distance is difficult on crowded flights, and sitting within 6 feet of others, sometimes for hours, may increase our risk of getting COVID-19.

We are impressed with American Airlines and their increased Clean Commitment. They've expanded cleaning at ticket counters, gate areas, passenger service counters, baggage service offices and team member rooms. They are also using stanchions and plexiglass shields to create space at gates and ticket counters. As part of their clean commitment, American Airlines also provide PURELL® Advanced Hand Sanitizer to customers at hub airports and all lounges across the United States.