Coronavirus & Your Honeymoon: Here's How To Stay Safe!

Coronavirus has been sending chills across the world since it first hit the news headlines in January. The virus is spreading like crazy around the world. In this blog, we are going to talk about this pandemic and how to stay safe from coronavirus while on your honeymoon. 

What is Coronavirus?

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that comes from animals and infects humans. Covid-19 is a new strain of this virus that is currently infecting humans across the globe. The virus mainly affects the respiratory tract and causes coughs, fever, and shortness of breath. In severe cases, it can cause organ failure and lack of oxygen in a person’s body. 

The mortality rate of the virus is around 3% and in healthy young adults, it's less than 0.5%. The symptoms are also quite mild in this age group and recovery is fairly better. The virus is more serious and deadly in those aged above 50 years. 

Is the situation worth panicking as much?

Well, the situation is serious. That’s all. We should focus more on facts rather than rumors and future scares. Little is known about the virus as of now. And until more information is available, it's better that we don’t unnecessarily make it worse in our head. The only thing that most leaders around the world are certain of is that the virus is quite infectious. A coronavirus patient can transmit the disease while sneezing or coughing, while shaking hands or any other close contact. 

That’s why washing hands and maintaining a safe distance from people who are sick as prevention measures are being emphasised again and again. 

What places should we completely omit out from our honeymooning list?

Here are some countries which are worst affected by the coronavirus or where the cases are surging day by day. 

• China
• Hong Kong
• South Korea
• Singapore
• Thailand
• Japan
• Indonesia
• UK
• Italy
• Spain
• Iran
• UAE
• Iceland
• US
• Mexico 
• Canada

Safe places to visit for your honeymoon amidst Coronavirus scare:

After a disheartening list of places to avoid for your honeymoon, here are some places that are completely safe to visit. 

• Maldives 
• Andaman & Nicobar Islands
• Mauritius 
• Seychelles
• Any African countries (no serious cases have been reported till now)

As a safety measure, keep checking the news for any fresh cases of the infection. Many countries, which were earlier unaffected by the virus, are reporting confirmed cases. 

Safety tips to keep in mind while travelling:

• Buy a face mask and wear it as soon as you enter the airport premises. 

• Avoid contact with those who are sick - especially the ones who are suffering from cold symptoms. 

• Wash your hands frequently especially when you are about to eat something. Carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to use if liquid soap is unavailable.

• Don’t touch your face, eyes or mouth. Viruses can easily enter your body and infect you. 

Airports at a lot of places have put in screening and other safety measures in place to protect their passengers. If there is a layover to your honeymoon destination, make sure it is at an airport where these measures are already effective. 

What if you have already booked your honeymoon?

Couples generally book their honeymoon a month or two in advance. This means that a country where coronavirus is taking over might be on your list like Italy. There were no cases in Italy a month before, which means it seemed safe to book a honeymoon there. Well, it isn’t now. In fact, most of the cases in India are also Italian tourists. 

That being said, it’s best that you cancel your honeymoon to any coronavirus hit countries. India has also imposed travel restrictions on countries like South Korea, Iran, Italy, etc. This could make your entry to India difficult after your honeymoon ends. 

Other countries are also issuing advisories before you travel there. So, for example, if you are traveling to Singapore where cases were reported in January itself, you might have to take extra care. A piece of assuring news for Singapore honeymooners is that the country is the only one who has successfully contained the spread of the virus and there has been no drastic increase in cases. There are no travel restrictions to and from the country. 

We have got some bad news for those who have booked their honeymoon on a cruise. Cancel it now! Cruises are high-risk environments for coronavirus. Think about how densely populated it is and there is so much contact with everyone. You are bound to get infected. It's best to avoid a cruise right now. 

Cancelling can cause you to worry about the financial losses, here are some things which you can do:

• Talk to your travel agent. He might be aware of the situation considering he is dealing with a lot of worried people right now. Most agencies would be more than happy to postpone your entire trip to sometime later in the year, which is an amazing option to take!
• If you have booked the hotel on your own, get in touch with them as soon as possible. Most of them are offering refunds to travellers. So you are good to go. 
• As for airplane tickets, it might be difficult to get any of your money back unless you have a refundable ticket. Consider your money lost there. Rescheduling might be a worthy option but it will also eat some of your money. 
• As for travel VISAS, most of them have validity that extends until 6 months. That money is protected. 

Hope this helps!

If you think, there is anything that we have missed in this post but should be included. Please comment down below and we will add your valuable point into this blog!