Infectious-disease expert Dr. Peter Bornstein understands well the midwinter yearning for palm trees and ocean breezes. Most years, the Twin Cities physician has a family trip booked to a tropical getaway. He's often advised new doctors who've moved to Minnesota from elsewhere to do the same.
This year, Bornstein is checking the powerful urge to buy plane tickets even though he's been vaccinated against COVID-19 as a front-line medical provider. He's alarmed about new viral variants and travel's role in spreading them.
"The concern is that the variants may make 2021 look like 2020," Bornstein said, referring to the past year dominated by disease control measures. "I'd like 2021 to look like 2019."
While air travel and hotel bookings lag far below pre-COVID levels, many of us have nevertheless seen vacation photos posted on social media by friends or family. As COVID-19 metrics in Minnesota trend in the right direction, it's understandable, especially with the recent subzero blast of cold, to want an escape.
Bornstein's advice is to resist temptation. That's also what the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends. Repeated throughout its "Travel during COVID-19" resource guide is some version of this: "Avoid travel."
Note that the agency doesn't distinguish between international and domestic travel. Nor does it make exceptions for those who have been vaccinated or have had COVID. Vaccines, as well as natural immunity after having COVID, may be less effective against new viral variants.
At the same time, the CDC acknowledges that there will be those who venture forth anyway. Its online travel resource covers the recent federal mask requirement on public transportation traveling into or within the United States.
It also spells out another requirement: "All air passengers coming to the United States, including U.S. citizens, are required to have a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before they board a flight to the United States."