Peru During COVID-19

By the time we traveled to Peru in late April 2022, Peru was no longer requiring fully vaccinated visitors to have a COVID test before entering the country. The Peruvian COVID requirements did require us to submit an Affidavit of Health and Geolocation Authorization before being allowed to fly to Peru.

We also were required to wear a KN95 mask or double masks in many places in Peru. The documentation stated, "The use of a KN95 mask or, alternatively, a 3-fold surgical mask with a fabric mask, is mandatory for being on public roads and in enclosed spaces." Face shields had formerly been required for riding the train to Machu Picchu, but that restriction was removed before we got there (KN95 or double masking still required).

This sign was posted inside one of the three elevators at our Lima hotel, but I think it was from prior months because it wasn't displayed in the other two elevators.

Marketplaces, stores, restaurants, and other facilities had postings on rules related to COVID-19.

The most stressful part of traveling to Peru during COVID-19 was the need to have negative COVID tests to return home to the United States. Gate 1 Travel arranged for a doctor to visit us at our Lima hotel the day before we departed Lima. It cost 110 soles (~$30 USD) per person for the test and we were relieved that we both tested negative!

Dominica During COVID

Any travel, and particularly international travel, is more complicated during the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic. We did experience additional travel stress because of COVID-19 during our visit to Dominica. This post talks about traveling to Dominica and provides tips for reducing the anxiety and stress of traveling to Dominica during COVID-19.

WARNING: With COVID, things are changing constantly and it is recommended that Dominica's latest requirements be reviewed before planning any travel to Dominica.

Dominica's Travel Restrictions and Entry Requirements During COVID-19

Information on travel requirements and restrictions related to COVID-19 and travel to Dominica can be found at the site "Travel Advisory for Dominica." At the time of our trip (and of this writing), Dominica had different travel protocols for vaccinated travelers than for unvaccinated travelers. Because of this distinction, it is important to read the protocols for one's COVID vaccination status and try to keep those details separate from the protocol details for tourists with a different vaccination status. All vaccinated visitors who travel to Dominica through the United States only also enjoy easier pre-travel COVID test requirements.

Dominica currently offers a "Safe in Nature" managed tourism experience that unvaccinated travelers must participate in for the "first 5-7 days of arriving to Dominica." This program includes certified lodging accomdations, tour operators, and transportation.

Vaccinated travelers do not need to participate in the "Safe in Nature" experience, assuming they meet all other requirements related to COVID.

Health Questionnaire

Dominica currently requires that a health questionnaire be submitted in advance of travel to the country. Although we had filled out similar forms for travel to Puerto Rico and Greece and Italy during COVID without significant incident, this one almost cost us our trip to Dominica and was a significant source of early-trip stress. I'll explain the situation here and steps to take to reduce the likelihood of this being such a negative and stressful issue.

We submitted our health questionnaires electronically a couple days before our trip, but our PCR COVID test results had not come back yet and we could not attach them to the questionnaire. We almost immediately received an email message saying the questionnaires had been received. Because we received these confirmation email messages, we made the mistake of assuming that future email messages would also go to our inbox. However, the e-mail messages denying travel due to no test results being attached went to our "Spam" folders instead of our "Inbox." The Dominican web site does warn that this is a possibility, but we mistakenly assumed that because we got the confirmation email in our Inbox, we'd similarly get the approval or denial email in our Inbox. Because we did not check our "Spam" folder until we were at the airport, we almost failed to get approval to travel to Dominica in time to board the flight!

Pre-Travel COVID Tests

A common challenge for travel during COVID-19 is getting a pre-travel test done in time to have the results before traveling without taking the test too far in advance. Many destinations require the test to be taken 72 hours or less before expected arrival at the destination, but it can sometimes take 2-3 days to get test results (especially PCR). This makes the timing tricky. We had good luck getting free Walgreens PCR tests in time for our trips to Puerto Rico and Europe, but we could see that was likely not going to be the case for Dominica. We ended up paying quite a bit more (nearly $160 USD each) to get a same-day COVID-19 antigen test from a Denver-area urgent care facility. If we hadn't paid that, we'd have not gotten our results in time and would not have been allowed to board the flight from Miami to Dominica. Fortunately for us, we were able to use an antigen test (rather than a PCR test) for this pre-travel test because we were traveling to Dominica from the United States. We got our free Walgreens PCR COVID-19 test results while waiting in the Dominica airport to have our arrival COVID tests administered. It is likely that we would have had the test results from the free Walgreens test in time if we had taken the antigen test rather than the PCR test.

Arrival COVID Test in Dominica

All individuals arriving in Dominica, vaccinated or not, must take an antigen COVID-19 test at the Dominica airport. With approximately 70 passengers on our American Airlines flight from Miam to Dominica, this ended up in a bit of chaos and long waits at the airport. We had prepaid for this arrival test online ($100 EC), which simplified matters a bit, but we were still at the airport for well over two hours waiting in lines to answer questions about our stay, to get tested for COVID, and to wait for the results of those tests.

We had not paid the extra to sit further in front in the airplane because the flight from Miami to Dominica did not seem long enough to justify the extra cost. However, had I realized how much longer the wait for testing at the Dominica Airport would be for those in the back of its line, I'd have likely paid the extra to sit closer to the front and be well farther forward in the line in the airport. I suspect that being in the first several rows of that airplane would have saved us 60-75 minutes in the airport! The line and wait were so long at the airport that the thought crossed my mind whether the trip to Dominica was worth this. It turned out it was!

Departure COVID Test in Dominica

The United States requires a COVID test be taken no more than one day before departure for the United States and Dominica offers this in Roseau (Roseau Health Center) and Portsmouth (Portsmouth Hospital). It can be prepaid online ($100 EC). We were told that the car rental row at the Dominica Airport also has a facility for taking a pre-departure COVID test.

American Airlines Check-in Not Allowed Until COVID Test Results are Available

When we traveled to Europe, Lufthansa Airlines allowed us to reserver our seats before official check-in to accomodate later-arriving COVID test results. American Airlines, on the other hand, did not allow us to check in or reserve seats until our COVID-19 test results were available. We had taken the test the morning before our depature, but did not get the results until the morning of our departure. By the time we could check in (after uploading our test results via the VeriFLY app), we did not have any real choice of seats and had been moved away from our originally ticketed seats. This was another source of stress, but that turned out much better than we anticipated because the airplane was not as full as check-in had indicated and we were able to sit in the aisle and window seats with an empty middle seat.

Dominica During COVID

Once we got through the long line and wait for the arrival COVID test at the Dominica Airport, our Dominica experience during COVID began to improve dramatically. For the remainder of the trip, COVID-19 did not present any challenges different from what we'd have experienced at home (wearing masks when indoors in public areas unless eating and drinking). Dominica is a great destination (once you're through the airport!) during COVID-19 because it's relatively uncrowded and so many of its highlights are outdoor activities.

Tips Summarized

Here are some summarized tips for reducing the stress associated with flying to Dominica during COVID-19:

• Take pre-travel COVID test as early as possible in the 72-hour window before arrival in Dominica and either have (usually faster) antigen test administered (if it is allowed for your situation) or pay higher test costs to have a more rapid PCR test administered.
• Prepay for arrival and departure COVID tests in Dominica online using credit card with no foreign transaction fee ($100 EC per test will be charged).
• Select seats as close to front of airplane heading to Dominica as possible to be earlier in line in Dominica Airport for arrival COVID testing. This could save you a lot of time!
• Check your "Spam" or similar folder/label in your email for messages from Dominica regarding your submitted health questionnaire even when you've successfully received earlier email messages from them.
• Consider (heavily) travel insurance and purchasing airfare, lodging, and tours that are either refundable or at least "changeable."
• Have backup/contingency plans for situations such as not getting COVID tests back in time to travel or testing positive for COVID.

Conclusion

When we were waiting in line in the Dominica Airport amidst the confusion and chaos after our arrival, I could not help but ask myself if it it was going to be worth it. It turned out that visiting Dominica did end up justifying the stress we went through to get there. Sharing the gorgeous Nature Island with only a tiny number of other tourists was fantastic experience that was due in part to the challenges of getting there. The direct American Airlines flight from Miami to Dominica makes getting there without a cruise ship far easier that it would have been formerly.

European Travel During COVID-19: October-November 2021

This post contains observations from our trip to Greece and Italy in late October and early November of 2021. WARNING: This information is correct as of this writing to the best of my knowledge based on my observations, but the policies and restrictions related to COVID-19 continue to change frequently and only official documentation should be used to fully understand a given nation's entry requirements at any given time.

Vaccination Cards are Required and Checked

We needed to show our vaccination cards to enter nations as we expected, but were required to show them many additional times while in Greece and Italy. We had to show them at some restaurants to dine indoors. We needed to show them to enter museums and other indoor attractions and even needed them to enter attractions that were mostly outdoors such as the Colosseum and Heptapyrgion Fortress.

Although COVID-19 vaccination may not be required in some cases, it is typically easier for those who are vaccinated and have the cards showing that than it is for those who need to take COVID tests frequently and show negative results for entry. In some cases, entry may not be allowed at all for the unvaccinated and in other cases tests may be required even for the vaccinated.

Masks are Required

As is the case in many parts of the United States, people are generally expected to wear masks when indoors or when in busy places outdoors except when eating and drinking. Airline passengers and train passengers are also expected to wear masks except when eating and drinking.

Multiple Checkpoints ("Chokepoints") Abound

We traveled through Frankfurt in both directons and the experience in that airport was far less efficient than one would hope for. Long lines are common and many travelers worry (with reason) that they might not make their connecting flights. I recommend that anyone traveling through Frankfurt schedule plenty of time for the layover. Better yet, consider flights that fly directly from your home nation to your destination nation of choice and avoid the extra hassles associated with entry into a third nation.

On our way to Greece, we had a layover in Frankfurt and were in line to enter the European Union for over 45 minutes. With only a 2-hour layover and the added time to walk between our arrival terminal and the departure terminal, this left us with less time to make our connection flight to Thessaloniki than we would have desired. We were required to show our passport and CDC vaccination card in Frankfurt and then again in Greece (where we also needed to show our Greece Passenger Locator Form).

On the return flight, we again had a layover in Frankfurt. This much longer layover allowed plenty of time for standing in multiple lines, but it still is unpleasant to spend so much time in line. We again had to get in line for our vaccination cards to be checked before we could enter the terminal with gates for travel to the United States and other nations. When we finally got through that line, we sat where we could charge our devices. While we were sitting there, the checkpoint for checking vaccination cards was moved further into the airport terminal so that we needed to go through that line again (at least it was relatively short this second time)! One of the frustrating things about the first line is that we chose our line poorly and had the agent who also checked the vaccination cards of those who were riding on carts instead of walking. Because the agent always checked the passengers of the carts as soon as they arrived (probably in an effort to free up the carts as quickly as possible), those of us in line had to watch around 15 people arriving around the same time all get their vaccination cards examined while we just stood there.

Nations of the European Union and Schengen Area Set Their Own Policies and Restrictions

Although Greece and Italy are both part of the European Union and are both part of the Schengen Area, they have their own distinct entry requirements related to COVID-19. Although the individual nations have their own requirements and processes, it was easier to travel to Italy after being in Greece for 14 days because we did not need to take a COVID-19 test before flying to Italy.

We were able to fill out the nation-specific entry documentation for Greece and Italy online. A single Passenger Locator Form was encouraged per family for Greece entry while Italy required an EU Digital Passenger Locator Form per individual entering Italy. I found it interesting that only three nations (at the time of this writing) appear to be using the EU Passenger Locator Form (Italy, Malta, and Slovenia).

There is an EU Digital COVID Certificate, but for Americans traveling in Europe, the CDC COVID vaccination white cards are generally considered valid substitutes.

Because each nation sets its own policies, it is best to repeatedly review each nation's requirements before and during travel to those nations. Good sources of information include the COVID-19 pages those nations manintain and the U.S. Embassy pages for those nations. The Re-open EU site can also be helpful.

Uncertainty Abounds and Adaptability is a Must

The policies and restrictions related to COVID-19 continue to change in different nations of the world. More than ever, it's important to purchase travel insurance and to purchase flights, lodging, and activities that are as changeable or refundable as possible.

Re-entry into the United States

When the European vacation is almost over, there is still a need to deal with COVID-19 entry policies for those returning to the United States. The requirements depend on vaccination status and for those who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19, the requirements are to fill out the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) form and to produce negative results of a viral COVID-19 test taken within 3 days before return to the United States (or evidence of recovery from COVID-19). Unfortunately, I could not find a way to submit the APIS form electronically. It appeared that one needed to print it out and sign the hard copy. I printed it out at the hotel we were staying at for our last night, but Lufthansa Airlines did have some copies of it for passengers when we were checking in for our flight.

Some Attractions Will be Closed or Have Very Limited Operating Hours

Although most of the things we wanted to do were available, we did find some restaura and shops in the nations we visited and in the airports to still be closed due to the pandemic. There were some attractions and tours not operating because of the pandemic and some had their availability reduced. We also ran into issues where schedules were changed due to effects of COVID-19. For example, protests against COVID-19 policies in Greece and Italy impacted our ability to get to an Athens restaurant and to enter the Roman Forum. The "Green Pass" and other COVID-19 restrictions are not welcomed by everyone as this photo in Rome shows.

Conclusion

COVID-19 has caused new issues for travelers wanting to travel to and between other nations. In addition to carrying a passport, travelers must submit entry forms and carry related documentation and must carry evidence of vaccination and/or evidence of testing negative for COVID-19 to enter nations and to participate in some activities within those nations. However, we found that those we met in Greece and Italy were generally welcoming to us and doing what they could to ensure that travelers can visit their beautiful countries.

Puerto Rico Travel During COVID-19

We noticed during our trip to Puerto Rico in the last week of April that most people in Puerto Rico are diligently following the rules and guidelines that are in place for dealing with COVID-19. This post contains some of our observations related to dealing with this coronavirus while traveling to Puerto Rico.

Getting to Puerto Rico: COVID-related Entry Requirements

Puerto Rico requires visitors to follow steps outlined in Travel Guidelines:

• Fill out the Travel Declaration Form
• Take a "PCR molecular COVID-19 test (nasal or throat swab)" "no more than 72 hours"
  • Cannot be "rapid" test
• Upload negative results from PCR molecular COVID-19 test to the Puerto Rico Travel Safe site
• A QR code is sent to the individual who filled out the Travel Declaration Form and uploaded results of a negative PCR molecular test and this QR code is shown to a member of the Puerto Rico National Guard at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport after picking up one's luggage.

Even those who are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are required to have the PCR molecular test performed and to upload the negative results to the website. Puerto Rico has also instituted a $300 fine for anyone arriving on the island without the negative PCR molecular test results.

Restrictions While in Puerto Rico

At the time of our travel to Puerto Rico, there were several restrictions in place related to COVID-19, but they were not overly limiting of what we wanted to do there for the most part. The rules and restrictions we noticed most were curfew related and capacity related.

We had a long and painful day getting to Puerto Rico that included an 11-hour layover (originally 6 hours plus 5 hours of delay) and arrived in San Juan with just about every food establishment in the airport being closed and all of the restaurants closing up due to curfew rules. Fortunately gas stations in Farjado were still open and I've never been so grateful for gas station food, though it was still a disappointment from the local restaurant dinner we had hoped to enjoy that first night in Puerto Rico.

We noticed that employees at restaurants and gas stations were very diligent about enforcing only a specific number of customers being indoor in their establishments at the same time. All of the proprietors and all of the tour operators we worked with required masks when indoors or in close quarters outdoors.

Just about every establishment we visited had an electronic touchless thermometer for us to put our palm in front of (or in some cases an employee scanned us) and had antibacterial dispenser to sanitize hands.

Closures

Although a large number of the activities we wanted to participate were available during COVID-19 (because so many were oriented to small groups and were outdoor activities), there were some things we missed out on in Puerto Rico due to COVID-19-related closures. In particular, we had hoped to participate in the Kayak Trip to Cayo Santiago ("Monkey Island"), but this was not operating due to COVID-19. We also noticed that some attractions were not open or closed early, especially in areas further from San Juan such as Ponce and Cabo Rojo. Some beaches on Vieques were also closed.

On Culebra, we headed to Dinghy Dock for lunch, but found a sign indicating that it's closed due to COVID-19.

Tour Precautions

The tour operators we encountered all seemed to take COVID-19 seriously and offered preventative measures in addition to the normal 6 feet separation and required wearing of face masks by employees and customers. They also offered temperature screenings and antibacterial mist or fluid for participants. Here are some particular additional precautions that select tour operators took while we were there:

• The Kayaking Mini Speed Boat Island Hopping tour included sanitized snorkeling gear (we brought our own that we know we like and that is the safest way of all)
• The Carabalí Rainforest Adventure Park's 2-hour ATV Tour sprayed the inside of each participant's helmet before putting them on.
• The large flashlights handed to each participant for the last stretch of the cave opening to Cueva Ventana were each individually sanitized before being handed to the participant.

Daily Sara Alert Texts and Responses

We received a "Sara Alert" text each morning from telephone number 844-957-2721 asking if we were experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and we were requested to respond "si" or "no." The daily text message was in Spanish:

Este es el informe diario de Sara Alert para: DM-50. ¿Está usted sintiendo uno o más de los siguientes síntomas hoy?: Tos, Problemas para respirar, Pérdida reciente el olfato, Pérdida reciente del gusto, Falta de aire, Fiebre, Escalofrío, Tiembla repetidamente y tiene escalofríos, Dolor muscular, Dolor de cabeza, Dolor de garganta, Náuseas o vómitos, Diarrea, Fatiga, Congestión nasal o un exceso de moco en la nariz. Responda con "Sí" o "No"

Even though we've been home from Puerto Rico for several days, we're still receiving these daily Sara Alert texts and it reminds me of how much I miss Puerto Rico!

Advantage of Traveling to Puerto Rico During COVID-19: No Cruise Ships

Large cruise ships were not allowed to use United States ports while we were in Puerto Rico and this meant that Old San Juan was far less busy than it would have been if cruise ships were in port.

The streets were busier during the middle of the day and in the early evenings, of course, but we were surprised at how quiet it was in the mornings and after the restaurants closed.

Conclusion

The people of Puerto Rico seem to be working hard to ensure that travel there is as safe as possible and to improve their chances of keeping things open and running.