Staying Safe on your Staycation

This article has been medically approved by Pharmacist Sumaiya Patel - GPhC Reg No: 2215078

With the end in sight, many peoples’ thoughts are turning to their next holiday. If you choose to have an adventure in the UK, it’s important that you keep yourself and your travel companions safe. In our article below, we’ll look at some top tips to reduce transmission while enjoying your holiday.

Know the rules and follow them

If you live in England, Scotland, or Wales you can now travel around and between each country.

You can stay overnight in a campsite, caravan, boat, second home, or other self-contained accommodation. You should only stay with members of your household or support bubble.

It’s important that you check the restrictions in the place you plan to visit before planning to travel.

Stock up on masks

Currently in England you must wear face masks in the following indoor settings:

• public transport (aeroplanes, trains, trams and buses)
• taxis and private hire vehicles
• transport hubs (airports, rail and tram stations and terminals, maritime ports and terminals, bus and coach stations and terminals)
• shops and supermarkets (places which offer goods or services for retail sale or hire)
• shopping centres (malls and indoor markets)
• auction houses
• premises providing hospitality (bars, pubs, restaurants, cafes), except when seated at a table to eat or drink (see exemptions)
• post offices, banks, building societies, high-street solicitors and accountants, credit unions, short-term loan providers, savings clubs and money service businesses
• estate and lettings agents
• theatres
• premises providing personal care and beauty treatments (hair salons, barbers, nail salons, massage centres, tattoo and piercing parlours)
• premises providing veterinary services
• visitor attractions and entertainment venues (museums, galleries, cinemas, theatres, concert halls, cultural and heritage sites, aquariums, indoor zoos and visitor farms, bingo halls, amusement arcades, adventure activity centres, indoor sports stadiums, funfairs, theme parks, casinos, skating rinks, bowling alleys, indoor play areas including soft-play areas)
• libraries and public reading rooms
• places of worship
• funeral service providers (funeral homes, crematoria and burial ground chapels)
• community centres, youth centres and social clubs
• exhibition halls and conference centres
• public areas in hotels and hostels
• storage and distribution facilities

You are expected to put your mask on before entering any of these settings and keep it on until you leave (unless there is a reasonable excuse for removing it). You should also wear a face covering in any indoor place where social distancing may be difficult, and you will be coming into contact with people that you do not normally meet.

With this in mind, it’s a good idea to take a few masks for each person that is travelling. If you’re not able to wash your masks every day, you should take enough that you can wear a clean mask every day of your trip.

Take hand sanitiser

You should be keeping up with your frequent handwashing using soap and hot water, but if you are planning on spending lots of time out and about you should consider carrying hand sanitiser. You can get handy travel sized bottles to pack in your luggage and carry with you.

Bring your own supplies

While the staff at your accommodation are sure to be doing their best to clean between each visitor, carrying your own cleaning products ensures that it has been disinfected to a standard that you are happy with.

Also, you should consider bringing your own toiletries. This includes toothbrushes, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, soap, toothbrush, and toothpaste.

If you are staying somewhere that is self-catering, you could consider bringing your own cooking utensils. If you don’t want to do this, give everything you plan to use a thorough clean before you use it for the first time.

Some other things you might want to make a note to bring are a pen and pad, as these ‘high touch’ items may have been removed.

Plan your activities in advance

While many attractions and activities are open for visitors, it’s important to research what you want to do ahead of time.

Many attractions are operating on reduced opening hours, may only be partially open, or may have changed how they operate since your last visit. Additionally, many places are now requiring that you pre-book your tickets before arriving.

Pay on card where possible

Many attractions and shops are requesting that visitors try to avoid using cash as much as possible. This is to reduce transmission to you, but also to the people working.

As well as this, its advised that you use contactless payment to avoid touching the keypad.

If you have to touch the keypad, or handle cash, you should use hand sanitiser or avoid touching your face until you can thoroughly wash your hands.