Bonita Vista High (BVH) senior Priscilla Ling steps into New York for the first time ever since COVID-19 spread globally. With her face mask on, she leaves the airport and arrives at her aunt’s house with her father. Travelling may be inconvenient to students and families within the BVH community due to the ongoing pandemic; however, following the regulations for the pandemic could help make travelling safer.

Ling visited her aunt in Upstate New York with her family in early September until the beginning of December. She and her father arrived in New York a week earlier than her sister and her mother. Afterwards, she returned to New York on Dec. 17.

“It wasn’t that difficult because we knew the [travelling] procedures; you have to wear your mask. And all the airlines have air purifiers, so we knew it was pretty safe. But we also had to take the risk of travelling with the pandemic going on,” Ling said.

Ling explained that she and her family had to constantly sanitize their hands as a precaution while travelling. They made sure that they were following the government’s COVID-19 guidelines for travelling safely. Overall, Ling stated that the actual procedure of traveling was not difficult.

“When we got to our aunt’s house, we had to wipe down all our luggage and all our belongings that we brought with us and quarantine in their guest house. Then, we got tested for COVID-19 and got our results; we were negative so we were able to interact with our family and go to the main house area,” Ling said.

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Sophomore Daniel Haslett first travelled to Missouri in the beginning of October to a Bass Pro Shop Resort. Then he travelled to Portland, Oregon, at the end of October to visit a plane museum with his grandparents.

“[Going to another state] wasn’t that hard. We had to take a lot of precautions [like] wearing masks and stuff. Also, the plane had some seats blocked out for social distancing,” Haslett said.

Haslett describes that he stayed in a hotel room that was sanitized thoroughly. The dining tables were spread out and the pool was closed due to pandemic regulations. According to Haslett, travelling in these times gives him something to look forward to and says that it’s a new way to get away and explore a new place with family.

“Travelling during the pandemic felt normal to me and it was fun. I would be thrilled to do it again,” Haslett said.

In October, BVH senior Frances Acueza had the opportunity to travel to Seattle. The visit was partly an opportunity for Acueza to explore the city’s college campuses since she wanted to see what the city was like and hopes to live in Seattle in the future. 

“There’s definitely a lot more restrictions. There’s more things you have to get past, a lot less people [and] also the financial differences. It [financial difference] is kind of significant since there are a lot less people traveling. The prices of plane tickets are actually a lot lower,” Acueza said.

Acueza took an Amtrak to Seattle, a passenger railroad service that provides medium and long-distance intercity service, and took a plane back to San Diego. She explains that she didn’t sit next to anyone in the Amtrak because of the travelling restrictions. However, while coming back, Acueza mentions that the plane was full with people and there were even some people switching flights. 

“I would say if you’re going to travel, travel very infrequently and make sure you’re always following safety precautions for [staying safe of COVID-19]. If it’s not essential, then I suggest you to not travel or at least until the vaccine is out,” Acueza said.

According to The Washington Post, the virus infection rate is now 11.5 percent, meaning that the spread rate is more than twice what experts consider high-risk. However, COVID-19 vaccines have arrived in California, which could slow down the spread of the virus in the near future.

Not only is the pandemic worse, California is also setting daily death records. The increase in new cases, virus hospitalizations and deaths doubled. The number of deaths in San Diego County, specifically Chula Vista, is approximately 17,071 people. BVH students are advised to be careful and follow the COVID-19 guidelines at all times.

“Travelling is different and is harder because you have to make sure that you’re safe and you’re more aware of what you’re doing,” Haslett said.