The coronavirus pandemic has gone on for more than a year, and those eager to travel again could court trouble if they head to international destinations like Mexico for spring break.
Those traveling across borders for a holiday have to provide proof of a negative COVID test within three days of their return flight to the U.S., and if they test positive, they could be stuck overseas, a situation that Vanessa Rodriguez didn’t want to risk.
Rodriguez wanted to spend spring break in Guadalajara with her husband’s 97-year-old grandmother, but with COVID cases on the rise again, she didn’t feel comfortable taking the chance that she could potentially be infected with the virus.
“It’s too much logistically for us to try to handle,” she said.
New CDC rules don’t require a COVID test to fly to Mexico or select other destinations, but U.S. residents cannot fly home without showing their airline a negative COVID test, taken no more than three days prior to departure.
“As soon as I read (those rules) I’m like ‘nope. We are not going to do. Not going to risk it,’” Dave Miller, a travel expert based in Oaxaca, said.
Some hotels and resorts are aiming to lure travelers with promises of COVID testing prior to departure, along with a free quarantine stay should one be required.
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Miller says that travelers still need to weigh the risks before packing their bags for an exotic getaway.
“If it’s just for run, I’d say you can probably wait six months until we get more people vaccinated,” Miller said.
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As for Rodriguez and her family, they are hoping to travel soon, with both she and her husband planning to get vaccinated soon.
