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Travelling amidst COVID-19? How to be careful against Coronavirus infection

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Est read time 3 Minutes Published on 23^rd Feb 2020

The pandemic completely changed our lives. Especially for travel enthusiasts, it has been a massive challenge to not venture outside. For several months, we stayed at home due to the lockdown. Also, with no modes of transport available, there was hardly anything one could do except waiting. But now most cities are coming out of the lockdown gradually and allowing free movement. Well, health experts are still suggesting not to travel as it increases your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. However, if it’s urgent or important, then it’s best to take all the necessary precautions. 

1. What precautions should I take while travelling during the coronavirus disease outbreak?

• Do what you are doing on a daily basis, i.e. wear your mask properly so that your mouth and nose stay covered.

• Maintain physical distance by trying to stay at least six feet away from anyone who is not from your home. Also, avoid touching surfaces as much as you can.

• Carry a hand sanitizer with you always and wash your hands often. Also, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth without washing your hands.

• Drink bottled water only and buy food from a trusted brand where the food is thoroughly cooked and has gone through a quality check.

• Suppose you are going to stay in a hotel, research about how the place is ensuring the safety of its guests. Don’t compromise on your accommodation’s hygiene standard.

• If you are travelling in a vehicle, improve the ventilation by opening the windows or setting the AC on non-recirculation mode.

• Once you reach your destination, self-isolate yourself for a week or two to check if you have developed any symptoms or not. Sometimes, while you feel absolutely fine, you might actually be asymptomatic while the next person getting the infection from you might have comorbidity. Surely, you don’t want to endanger the lives of others. So, it’s better to wait and watch to be sure.

• Be well-aware of the travel restrictions and other rules of the place you are visiting so that you are not met with any unpleasant surprises.

2. How the coronavirus affects the travel insurance policy?

If you are travelling overseas, you must have bought a travel insurance policy. Well, some countries make it compulsory to buy insurance before visiting them, others leave the choice with the traveler. However, the importance of travel insurance has only grown ever since the pandemic escalated. 

What do the officials say?

The rules and restrictions on travel kept changing with the government issuing new directives every day. For example, observing how flight cancellations globally were affecting the policyholders, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), asked insurers to not levy any additional charge on those policies which are valid between March 22 and April 30, 2020. Many insurance providers even offered to waive off the cancellation fee, despite it is not mandated.

Similarly, the onus lies on the policyholder to extend their insurance in order to stay covered. They should do it before the policy expires; otherwise, their claim requests will get rejected.

Does your travel insurance cover COVID-19?

A traveller buys a travel insurance policy to cover himself against flight-related uncertainties like loss of baggage, passport, flight cancellations, etc. along with cover for medical emergencies as the cost of treatment in developed nations is astronomical. However, not all policies are automatically providing COVID-19 cover. In such a case, while buying or renewing  travel insurance online or from an agent, read the terms and conditions well to understand the inclusions and exclusions. You should opt for the one that gives you maximum benefits at a small premium.

Why go for an individual policy as well?

Usually, when people travel with families, they opt for a family floater plan. However, in this pandemic, experts are suggesting that they buy individual travel insurance for each member as the coverage under a group plan may not have sufficient sum insured to meet your financial needs during any medical emergency. Also, for those on an official trip, it’s prudent to buy a separate cover other than the one provided by the company to have an extra layer of protection.

Conclusion

Staying home is the most effective way of protecting yourself and others from COVID-19. But if you can’t avoid travel, then tread with caution. Taking the above-mentioned steps will help you minimise the risk factors, and you will safely reach your destination. In case of any unfortunate event, you will have your travel insurance to cover you. If you don’t have,  buy travel insurance online today and stay secured!

Disclaimer:  The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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