As the Delta variant of coronavirus threatens global travel plans, the World Health Organization (WHO) has shared guidelines on ‘safe travel’ during the pandemic. In a video shared by the UN health agency, a senior WHO official said that a lot of travel can be managed safely if countries gradually ease the curbs. Several countries have resumed international flights to boost their airline and tourism industry which are badly hit by the restrictions imposed to contain coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO’s health emergencies programme, stressed that the economy won’t be revived unless countries get their way out of Covid-19.
“If you go on a country from 10% normal travel and you go overnight to 100% travel, then our advice is always to start slowly, open up slowly, take it step-it-step and see if that affects your situation positively or negatively and then adjust as needed,” Ryan said.
Maria Van Kerkhove, Covid-19 technical lead at WHO, asked travellers to take responsibility while travelling by adhering to guidelines required by governments and airlines.
{{/usCountry}}Maria Van Kerkhove, Covid-19 technical lead at WHO, asked travellers to take responsibility while travelling by adhering to guidelines required by governments and airlines.
{{/usCountry}}“If they asked to wear a mask throughout travelling wear that mask, carry your hand gel with you, take all of those precautions as you go through that stage of leaving your house to entering into that other country, that other place that you live,” she said.
“The virus travels in people and so you could be infected in the place that you are travelling. You have a responsibility to keep yourself safe, keep those who you're travelling with safe and also not to bring the virus around with you,” Van Kerkhove added.