Covid-safe international travel for Australians and travel insurance policy changes

Now airlines are flying again, experts reveal how you can try to avoid a Covid infection and how to get insured against it.

Surgical masks provide the best protection from Covid on international flights - and it will be a feature of travel for foreseeable future.

Evidence shows they work better than cloth masks, and Australian National University infectious diseases expert Professor Peter Collignon said travellers should ensure they took several if they were on a long flight.

Masks need to be changed every few hours because they don’t work as well when they get moist, he told News Corp’s Facebook live session on Covid safe travel.

To be properly protected against Covid travellers should also consider using some type of eye guard such as a face screen, goggles or even sunglasses to protect themselves from getting infected on a flight, he said.

Professor Collignon said he was not intending to travel overseas until at least April next year because the virus was still circulating widely in the UK, Europe and the US and these countries were about to go into winter when people were more likely to be indoors and the infection was more likely to spread.

People desperate to travel should look to go somewhere where it was summer and they could spend more time outdoors to reduce their chance of infection, he said.

A surgical mask is better protection than a cloth one.

The best protection against Covid while travelling was to be vaccinated yourself and make sure this happened at least two weeks before you plan to leave to allow for paperwork to be completed and for the vaccine to work, he said.

Travellers should also check on the vaccination rates of countries they planned to travel and infection rates before they booked.

Be aware that infection rate data for countries like India may not be as accurate or trustworthy as for European countries and the US, he said.

Compare Insurance’s Natalie Ball urged people to shop around and read the fine print of travel insurance policies to be clear exactly what level of cover they had for Covid health costs or cancellations due to infection with the virus.

No insurance policy would cover you if a government slammed borders shut because of Covid forcing travel bookings to be cancelled, she said.

Going away is going to be a lot more complicated and require heaps more planning.

After vaccination, a good face mask is your best protection against catching Covid-19 while travelling and will reduce your risk of infection by about 20 per cent, Professor Collignon said.

Regular hand washing or use of hand sanitiser is also a good idea.

Professor Peter Collignon, from the Australian National University Medical School in Canberra.

And from Monday you will be able to buy rapid antigen tests from your chemist to allow you to self-check whether you’ve picked up an infection in-flight or on your tour bus.

Checking the vaccination record of your destination, your cab driver and flight attendant and whether your travel insurance covers Covid will be the new normal as travel resumes.

Then you will have to navigate the myriad different rules that will apply in your destination with some countries, including China and Vietnam, requiring up to a month in quarantine and others like Singapore demanding multiple expensive PCR tests for a relatively short stay.

And none of it is cheap. In fact, you could be spending as much as $1000 on Covid tests alone to meet the requirements of some overseas destinations.

Rapid antigen test for COVID-19.

Qantas and Air Zealand and the Australian Government have made masks and vaccination compulsory if you want to take an international flight.

Coming home our government requires you to return a negative Covid-19 test result from an approved PCR testing site 72 hours prior to departure.

Making sure you are insured for any health or quarantine costs if you catch Covid is highly advisable.

Some travel insurance policies include Covid cover as standard; others may offer it as an added extra; and some policies don’t cover Covid at all, Ms Ball warns.

“Of those providing cover, most will cover you if you or your travelling companion are diagnosed with Covid,” she said.

You can also purchase also cover for additional expenses such as meals and accommodation should you need to extend your stay or if you have to quarantine due to catching Covid.

“This is usually capped at about $2500 per policyholder. Some insurers allow you to choose the limit,” she said.

Vaccination is not a requirement in order to purchase or validate travel insurance in Australia, she said.

However, many policies exclude cover if you’re travelling against government advice so check the government’s Smartraveller website for “do not travel” warnings.

Originally published as Covid-safe international travel for Australians and travel insurance policy changes