To travel or not to travel?

The obvious answer is no.

No for your own good.

No for the good of everyone.

But, if you must -emphasis on must- travel or you are already away from home. We have a few recommendations to help in this troubled times.

Don’t travel without travel insurance

Now it’s no secret that travel insurance policies purchased after March 13 will not covered medical emergencies related to Covid-19. However, not all medical emergencies are the same.

There are the little accidents, infections, bug bites, etc. that don’t require you to run to the ER but cannot be left without proper medical care either, and they all cost money.

You will need coverage for those and the assistance of experts that can recommend you the nearest or best place to get medical attention, fly you back to Canada (if it ever comes to that) or simply put you in touch with a health professional to get advice on how to deal with your medical emergency.

Private travel insurance will do all that for you, so make sure you have proper coverage in place if you must – again, emphasis in must- travel.

 I’m away from home… now what?

First, stay calm and follow all the official recommendations of the place you are to keep yourself and others protected from getting infected.

Second, find trusted sources like governments health agencies, official websites of airlines, services and goods providers to keep track of their latest publications. Don’t give way to panic based on rumors, fake-news and general misinformation.

Third, make a plan to come back home as soon as possible:

• Contact you consulate or embassy;
• contact your airline or common carrier to book a trip back home;
• prepare a budget for unexpected expenses;
• contact your travel insurance company and ask them how can they help to get the information and assistance you need to plan your return back home.

Some travel insurance plans include assistance services like contact with embassies or consulates, family members, legal counsel, translation services,etc.

If you purchased Trip interruption insurance call you insurer to open a claim. Your policy will reimburse your for the additional expenses you incur as a result of interrupting your travel plans. Be aware that Covid-19 might be an exclusion depending on the product, the plan and the company you are insured with.

The golden rule: stay at home

Covid-19 is now recognized as a world pandemic by the World Health Organizations in over 120 countries. Most governments are taking measures to protect their population and closed their borders to non-nationals. It is only reasonable and expected to avoid all non-essential travel, practice social distancing and basically respecting a self-imposed quarantine for the common good.

So stay home and stay healthy.

We strongly support all official measures to keep the public healthy and avoid infecting other people. However, if you must -emphasize on must- travel, please take all precautions and be sure to get travel insurance. Not all medical emergencies are or will be related  to Covid-19, so if you are travelling you still need to be covered.

Contact us if you have questions.

Get a free quote and purchase on-line.