Summer Plans with COVID

By BRIAN SCHMID

James Taggart of Union City, New Jersey had planned a summer vacation at his friend’s wedding and bachelor party,  but COVID-19 derailed it. Now, he wants to go to a historical battlefield and wants to make sure he has everything planned out for the trip and that he is vaccinated. 

Many people like Taggart have an important decision to make in the coming months: whether to abort vacation plans altogether due to COVID-19 variants spreading across the world, or to continue on with vacation plans as safely as possible. 

With plans being cancelled last year, Taggart made sure to make the most of this upcoming summer.

“I might make a trip to one of the historical battlegrounds in Pennsylvania or New Jersey once I’m fully vaccinated,” he said. “I have my first dose of the vaccine scheduled in a week.”

The new availability of the COVID-19 vaccine has allowed citizens to begin to transition back to their pre-pandemic lives. One factor of this includes traveling over the summer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), those who are traveling domestically do not have to get tested or quarantine after their trip if they are fully vaccinated. These factors are correspondent with a higher willingness to travel, as TSA numbers show. Compared to last April, traveler throughput is up by well over one million passengers per respective day.

A year ago, younger people aged anywhere from 16-25 were mainly blamed for the surge of COVID-19 cases after travelling for Spring Break. Now, with vaccinations opening up to that age group in New Jersey, it is becoming a main focus to vaccinate this age group before they travel for the summer. 

“As long as people are fully vaccinated, still wearing masks, and following the rules wherever they choose to go, I have no issue,” said Taggart, a 25-year-old New Jersey resident.in response to whether people should be vacationing or not in the pandemic. However, he only believes this due to the rate in which vaccines are being rolled out in New Jersey.

Updated Vaccine Rollout in New Jersey

Vaccine rollout in the state of New Jersey is progressing along in its stages. On April 19, Governor Phil Murphy announced an expansion of vaccine eligibility among those who reside, work, or study in the state of New Jersey to those 16 and older.

Today, everyone who lives, works, or studies in New Jersey, ages 16+, is now eligible to be vaccinated.??At this time, those ages 16 and 17 can only receive the Pfizer vaccine and must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian to be vaccinated.??https://t.co/wzXaqEF1Kl pic.twitter.com/UtDmH4hTZM

— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) April 19, 2021

The announcement of this expansion is in response to the growing number of New Jersey citizens becoming vaccinated. As of April 24, more than 6 million doses of vaccines have been administered, with over 2.5 million citizens already fully vaccinated.

Deciding to Vacation

When deciding to go on vacation this upcoming summer, the number one point most travelers will be sure to hit is to become vaccinated. After that, it becomes a question of where one will travel and if there are certain travel restrictions they must follow.

James Taggart is an example of using this checklist. He was able to schedule a first-dose vaccine appointment for May 6, and he did it by searching up vaccine distributors near him. He is getting vaccinated to help further the fight against COVID-19.

“Before the vaccine was an option, it really bothered me when people disregarded the rules,” said Taggart. “It kind of disrespected the nurses and doctors who are on the front lines fighting this pandemic.”

Taggart explained that he is completely trusting of what the experts say about the virus and that he has taken all precautions necessary in order to keep himself and his family safe. This includes cancelling summer plans last year.

“My best friend was supposed to get married in June and we had to cancel and then reschedule the bachelor party,” he said.

Jose Santillana, a 19 year old, explained that although he was aware of the severity of the virus a year ago, he still opted to go on vacation in July.  “I decided to go to Wildwood with a group of my friends last summer,” said Santillana. “We went during a time where the number of cases in New Jersey was at an all time low.”

Cases during this time were indeed low, according to the New Jersey COVID-19 Dashboard. From the beginning of July to the end of August of 2020, there were no more than 699 reported cases in one day, with most of the days hovering more towards the 300-400 range. 

“Obviously we were smart about the whole situation,” Santillana added. “We all wore masks in public, never went to any indoor crowded areas, and all of us made sure that we were properly sanitized the entire trip.”

He believes that people should be able to make the decision on whether to travel safely during the pandemic or to stay home.

Should Vaccinated People Travel This Year? 

 

“I would not be traveling anywhere if there wasn’t a vaccine,” said Taggart in regards to the summer. He thinks that although there are new strains of the virus, there have been studies done that the vaccines currently available are at least able to moderately be effective against most known variants.

Santillana also said that he too will be travelling again this summer. “I’m not sure if I will be vaccinated by that time, but I am planning to go on vacation either way. We will do it very safely again though.”

Traveling Restrictions with a Vaccine

Although the vaccines are being distributed, there are still precautions being taken by the state of New Jersey that have not changed in light of this fact. According to the official New Jersey COVID website, travelers are still encouraged to quarantine after trips, and are expected to postpone any trips to or from the state if they do test positive prior to leaving. 

However, one difference is that instead of the prior quarantine period of two weeks, now travelers only should quarantine for one week. So, even though vaccines are being distributed around the state, there are still certain travel restrictions that Governor Murphy has kept in place in response to the new strains.

Although the pandemic is still far from being completely over, Americans getting vaccinated will have its benefits. According to the CDC, vaccinated citizens can now gather with other vaccinated citizens in small areas without the need for a mask or social distancing. Although masks are still needed in public spaces, this is a significant step towards normalcy, experts say.

Dr. Anthony Fauci said in an interview that the country could return close to normal by the end of 2021, but that masks will most likely be needed into the new year. Until then, all Americans can do is continue to get vaccinated and follow COVID-19 protocols. 

Taggart says he plans to check out one historical site in particular: the Paoli Battlefield Historical Park located in Pennsylvania. He is selecting this site because he has always been a fan of historical battles and would love to see one with his own eyes. 

With the pandemic being more than a year old, it is easy to understand why some people would be itching to travel once again. For many, that opportunity is fast approaching as the world is slowly heading towards life before COVID-19.