As it stands over 100,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported worldwide, with a horrifying 3,000 deaths reported across 79 countries and territories. Sure, COVID-19 is comparatively small when you pitch it side-by-side with HIV or cancer or kidney failure, but still, people remain paranoid and quite frankly a little our of their minds every time they hear someone coughing or sneezing nearby.
But that is what’s happening overseas. But what about us here in Malaysia?
Truthfully, nothing actually furls our feathers, COVID-19 or not, we still have to carry on with our lives to feed our family. Sure, some people remain paranoid, but that is not what the majority resonates with.
Some may still even consider taking a flight and travel overseas despite a general consensus telling them to do the complete opposite.
So should you cancel your travel plans and risk losing thousands of your hard-earned cash?
IF YOU ]’RE TRAVELLING OVERSEAS, NOTE COUNTRIES WHERE TRAVEL BANS ARE ISSUED
Want to feel like you are in old Persia? Dream of visiting Jeju Island and relive scenes from Winter Sonata? How about a trip to Rome and eat pizzas?
If you said yes to all of the above, then think again. Why? Because all three countries mentioned in the above are currently facing travel bans with a strict DO NOT TRAVEL warning issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Why not travel somewhere local?
Our tourism industry will surely thank you for it because we have not been able to fill our hotels ever since travel bans have been imposed on our friends from overseas.
To add more value as to why you should make your way up and down the country is the fact that no travel ban has been imposed on any state in Malaysia, which is a good thing by the way.
DO YOU THINK YOUR TRAVEL INSURANCE WILL WORK DURING COVID-19?
Travel insurance will not help you that much during COVID-19. Why? Because there are things that insurance will no cover like trip cancellations.
REMEMBER, insurance companies consider the coronavirus as a disease that has a foreseeable impact on travel. What does that mean? Well, insurance companies do not want to lose money, so they tend to exclude COVID-19 from coverage, making your cancellations because of coronavirus will not be covered by them.
Convenient, right?
SHOULD YOU GO ON A CRUISE INSTEAD?
I am sure by now you have read reports of a cruise liner being denied entry to any port because it had COVID-19 on board.
Did you know that the virus spreads even better in close quarters?
The Grand Princess had at least 21 onboard affected by coronavirus, the Diamond Princess cruise ship was quarantined in Japan because one in six was affected – six of them died.
HOW ABOUT BUSINESS?
From my current experience, Singaporean companies like the one I’m working with has initiated a BCP or Business Continuity Planning where employees are urged to work from home.
Any form of travel has taken a back seat for now, with the amount of contact from one employee to another is limited to a bare minimum and some are only done via conference calls.
So if you are required to travel for work, remember to avoid contact with sick people, do not touch your face with your hands and practice hand hygiene.
