ADVISORY: This article was made under the circumstances of going to the USA for work and to help family. There may be some touristic things mentioned, but in no way are we promoting travel for touristic purposes. This article is to show how traveling is during COVID and what precautionary measures are being taken by ourselves and others.
So our situation is a little interesting. My dad has a tax business in the states. Every year during tax season, we go to the states for work. Last year my mom and I opted out of going and my dad ended up getting stuck there for 6 months because of the borders closing down due to COVID. This year, my mom and I are joining him on his work trip so that our family doesn’t have to stay separated for long.
EU to USA
To prepare for this trip, we had to find flights that were not only affordable but were on airlines that take good safety measures. Our first 2 flights out of Europe were canceled because of airports closing for a few months on the down-low. You wouldn’t know about the airports closing unless it affects you. So we ended up rebooking our flights and leaving home 2 days earlier. Beforehand, we ordered 100 N95 masks and a bunch of gloves (both items coming in black of course) as well as face shields/visors. I personally had a bit of a visibility problem when it came to wearing my mask and face shield because whenever I would breathe, the face shield and my glasses would both fog up (I have another one that I will be trying out later in the trip). We flew on Delta and the aircraft staff gave us wipes/disinfectant when we boarded. On the planes, we were required to wear our masks at all times unless we were actively consuming food or beverages. While walking around the airports, everyone was wearing masks. The only time we took ours off was when we were eating or when immigration/passport control asked us to take it off in order to see our faces. Overall, everyone was abiding by what was being asked of them in regards to taking safety measures.
USA to PR
After spending a few days in NC, we hopped on a plane to SJU with our masks and protective gear. Getting to the gate was a quicker process because technically we weren’t flying internationally. We waited about an hour in the Starbucks line for drinks because we had a little over an hour to kill. And by a little over an hour to kill, I mean like 2 minutes extra. Fortunately, the gate was diagonal from the Starbucks so there was a small chance of us missing the boarding call. About 99% of the people were wearing masks, even if they weren’t wearing them properly (PSA: wearing a mask only over your mouth is NOT the right way to wear a mask). Much like Delta, American Airlines gave us a medium to disinfect our hands and surrounding areas. Because the flight was so short, we got snack bags instead of meals. In it was a baby water bottle and cookies. The snack pack is also where we received the disinfectant. All the flight attendants were wearing masks and, once again, asked that we keep our masks on at all times unless we were actively consuming something. When you get to the SJU airport, there is a checkpoint where they will ask you if you have a QR code. The QR code is from an online form you should fill out before entering Puerto Rico. This website has information about Puerto Rico’s travel requirements as well as a declaration form. You either have to go into quarantine for about 2 weeks (or until you get a negative DOVID-19 result) or come with a negative test result. We quarantined for about 10 days. We took a COVID-19 blood test at a lab on day 9 and day 10 we had our negative results.
PR to USA
The trip back to the states was pretty much the same. All of the flight attendants were wearing masks, most people were also wearing their masks and the airline staff asked that we kept out masks on unless we were actively eating the little snacks they gave us. They provided us with cookies, a baby water bottle, and a sanitizing wipe. When we got back to NC, we stayed in a hotel for about 2 weeks of quarantining. On our 5th day or so, we did a Drive-Thru COVID-19 test at a local CVS. We were able to schedule it through their website linked in the previous sentence. To be able to take the test, you need to bring proof of identity (passport, license, etc…). The test they gave us was the swab test. You have to administer it yourself, but they give you clear and precise instructions on how to do it so that you can get accurate results. About 3 days later our tests came back negative, so we were able to go to my Grandmother’s house to stay.
Stay tuned for Part 2…
JustMari's Adventures 