18 | JANUARY 20 • 2022

F

light cancellations, changing travel
rules and getting stuck abroad: These
are just a few of the many issues trav-
elers are facing in recent weeks as the rapid-
ly spreading Omicron variant of COVID-19
continues to impact the travel industry.
Having recently returned from a trip
to Aruba, I faced all these issues and then
some as Omicron quickly went from what
felt like a small possibility in the back-
ground to the forefront of the news and, of
course, our vacation.
Flying out to Aruba from Detroit in early
December, the first officer on our flight
didn’t show up. Luckily, another first officer
was called in, who managed to drive to the
airport in time for our flight to take off two
hours late, but we still managed to make
our connecting flight to Aruba.
Others, however, aren’t so lucky.
“People are calling in because they have
Omicron and they’re getting
sick, so [airlines] have staff
shortages,
” Jewish travel expert
David Fishman of Metro
Detroit-based Cadillac Travel
Group explains. “But what also
happens in these situations is
a lot of times, people who are
working will pick up more flights.
”
Airline staff will max out how many
hours they’re allowed to fly, Fishman con-

tinues, contributing to the cancellations.
“It’s a big problem,
” he says.

FEAR OF GETTING STUCK ABROAD
Coming home on Christmas Eve, my two
flights took off as planned — but many peo-
ple at my hotel were stuck, facing last-min-
ute and unexpected holiday cancellations.
It’s another hurdle travelers must be ready
to face if traveling in the coming weeks.
“That’s another part of the problem, a
fear of getting stuck somewhere,
” Fishman
explains.
While my family managed to come home
in a timely manner with negative COVID-
19 tests, we narrowly avoided an Omicron
spread at our hotel. One week after we left,
33 rooms were on lockdown, and friends
of ours faced 10 days of isolation in their
rooms until they were able to present three
negative COVID-19 tests in a row following
the mandatory quarantine period.
This means people could miss work, get-
ting home in time to take care of their kids
or other crucial matters that often have to
be weighed out as real possibilities prior to
planning a trip.
Fishman says travelers often wonder what
will happen in the event that they contract
the virus and get stuck, especially abroad.
The key, he explains, is to do as much
homework as possible to stay up to date

on government restrictions and guidelines
— even up to a day before leaving — and
to secure travel insurance, which he recom-
mends as the smartest thing one can do.
“There are types of coverages that allow
you to get home,
” Fishman explains. “Most
people don’t know about it.
”
While these memberships can sometimes
run on the more expensive side, Fishman
says they offer peace of mind to travelers
truly concerned about the possibility of get-
ting stranded.

HOW TO TRAVEL SAFELY
That’s why Farmington Hills-based Jewish
family practice physician Dr. Jeffrey Soffa
says travelers should consider the pros and
cons of every trip.
“You have to be aware that you’re going
to be around a lot of different people, and
you’re not going to know what their status
is regarding immunizations or illness,
” Soffa
explains.
He recommends considering your own
health, vaccination status, age and whether
a trip falls into an essential
category (such as taking care
of a sick family member) or
under the vacation umbrella,
the latter of which could be
postponed if needed.
Either way, Soffa says “you
want to make sure that you’re
wearing a mask right, that your immuniza-
tions are up to date and that you stay as far
away from other people as possible.
”
Soffa suggests wearing an N95 or KN95
mask, which offer higher levels of protec-
tion against COVID-19. Cloth masks, he
says, will help keep a sneeze or cough from
traveling, but often won’t do much else in
preventing virus spread.
Yet when it comes to push or pull, any
mask is better than not wearing one at all,
Soffa adds.
He also suggests avoiding highly crowded
places while traveling, like theaters or other
indoor spaces where people sit or stand
closely to one another for extended periods
of time.
And if you do happen to get sick, Soffa
says you can treat your symptoms while
self-isolating, but to always get prompt
medical attention at an urgent care or hos-
pital if you experience shortness of breath
or other more severe symptoms.
“You don’t want to take a chance,
” he
says.

OUR COMMUNITY

Everything you need to know about
traveling during Omicron.

Planning
a Trip?

David
Fishman

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Dr. Jeffrey
Soffa