Which attraction is safe to visit?
In this COVID-19 era, one of the questions I get bombarded with is: ‘’which place is safe for me to visit?’’
I understand the motivation for the question. People who have the knack to travel are really missing out and genuinely concerned about their pickings.
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Some others have become bored and are eager to start a normal life. Then there are those people who have begun to evaluate their lifestyles and options in the face of a near death experience. Oh, let’s face it. We all really got scared at a point. (Remember by June dieer?)
So these people have done some soul searching and have realized that life must be lived. There are those among us who can afford to, but never travel out to see the sites that God has blessed Ghana with. For such people there is a kind of mid-year resolution to travel, travel, and travel.
I welcome them to the fold and for their information, I am just finishing a brand new resource book to assist them in this direction.
So back to the question. Which destinations are safe to visit now? Let me begin by stating that I wish I could just go on by citing attractions in South, East, West and North. But that is not possible because the novel corona is still spreading not only in Ghana but around the world.
Yes, the government is gradually opening up the restrictions but they keep reminding us to follow the protocols. This is because the coast is still not clear.
Public health agencies are also advising people to stay in their homes as much as possible to try to slow the spread of the disease.
Unless you can magically teleport yourself to a deserted island or mountain top, the only safe place to travel is your backyard or balcony.
If you visit an attraction and there are other people at those destination, you risk getting COVID-19 from them or you risk giving COVID-19 to them.
Even if you wanted to travel, right now it’s almost impossible. Most attractions namely, public parks, game reserves, beaches and restaurants are closed.
Whether it’s protecting your family, your neighbourhood, city, country, or, we have an obligation to minimise the spread of COVID-19.
Called “flattening the curve,” slowing the spread protects our fellow human beings wherever they live in Ghana, and that protects each of us as individuals.
It also helps ensure that our healthcare systems are able to respond positively.
Indeed, some of the most vulnerable places are destinations popular for vacations. Around the world, these attraction sites, which host many international travellers, were some of the first hit.
In Ghana though most of the cases are mild, it includes people with no symptoms at all. And that is dangerous as one might think such people are safe to be around with.
Even for the countries that have passed their COVID-19 peak and have recorded lowering numbers all is not safe. After weeks of very low, China has started to report some new domestic COVID-19 cases.
This second wave of infections is also dangerous. Second waves are starting in Hong Kong, South Korea, and Singapore.
Experts predict that they will continue to happen and will require re-starting rules like physical distancing, the closing of nonessential services, and lockdowns.
In Ghana our cold season is also around the corner, with the usual cases of cold, cough and flu. Sounds familiar? Many experts are predicting that cold and flu season is likely to become cold, flu and COVID-19 season.
In effect, let me conclude by saying that this is the time to use the commonest resource we have as human beings - common sense. That is what would protect families, communities and ourselves.
To flatten the curve, we all need to stay in our homes as much as possible. Minimising contact with other people is the best way to save lives.
But the perfect thing to do while you’re saving the world by self-isolating is to plan your ideal ‘Travel Someday’ vacation for when the crisis is all over.
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