The 14 Day Question, What Will Costa Rica Choose?
Better hope you dont have a fever when you arrive
As countries across the world begin to slowly ease up restrictions and open up their bussinesses, many continue to wait and speculate how all this will unfold. One group that remains a bit in the dark still are travelers. As airlines constantly shift to adjust to border closures, extensions, cancelations, it has become difficult for travelers to make any sort of definitive travel plans. While Costa Rica’s borders are technically set to open back June 15th, it is almost certain that the Costa Rica government will once again push back that date. Some airlines apparently are fairly confident that those dates will be extended, with Southwest Airlines earlier this week already cancelling any routes to the country that were scheduled in August and now pushing that back to October.
Most anticipate that Costa Rica will be announcing an update on the border closures sometime in the next two weeks. But the other question is what will be the procedure for travelers once they do open? Travelers are by now fully aware that the traveling experience has changed for the foreseeable future and there will be plenty of changes in adjusting to Covid-19, but are they prepared to travel somewhere to then be quarantined for 14 days? Each country is going to have different protocols for travelers entering their country, but it looks like many are beginning to add a 14 day quarantine to that list.
One destination that sure seems to model what could be the future for Costa Rica is Hawaii. Similar to Costa Rica, Hawaii is a tremendous tourist destination and like Costa Rica has done a tremendous job to contain the virus. Hawaii is actually discouraging traveling and are creating ways in which they hope that travelers do not come at this time. In Hawaii the state’s visitors bureau has asked media organizations to “refrain from publishing any stories about Hawaii that might encourage people to travel to the islands.” Airlines have also been encouraged to suspend incoming flights. Passengers there must sign a legal document acknowledging they’ll abide by the 14-day quarantine before being allowed to leave the airport.
And Hawaii is not the only destination to implement the 14-day quarantine rule. Many other places are doing the same, while others still have their borders closed. So while travelers try to guess and shift their plans on when Costa Rica will open their borders, they might need to also adjust to any sort of quarantine protocol as well. We really do not know what Costa Rica will decide but do know they have been very conservative. With so much still being up in the air it is really just too hard to make any sort of definitive plans. Seems like for now travelers just have to adjust a bit and make their next trip to Costa Rica a spontaneous one.
