Our Commitment to Safer Trips
A few things we are doing differently to ensure safety
Reconnecting with nature and ourselves has never been more important, as well as immersing ourselves in experiences to soothe the weary soul – something we all long for. As travel restrictions begin to slowly ease off travel planning also resumes. We are taking necessary yet important safety precautions and instituting safety standards for the smooth running of all our tours but more importantly the safety of every individual. We are committed to the safety of all our customers and tour teams. Hence, why we made this outline that is also in alignment with the safety standards of the current WHO and CDC guidelines.
This outline will ensure effective safety standards and protocols with meaningful action plans that optimize all aspects of our tours. Part of our protocols includes providing all our customers with the insights and toolkits for interaction and implementation to ensure that every individual feels safe. Ultimately, we envision a future of travel that is safe, secure, seamless at the same time, providing immersive, meaningful and enriching experiences to all our customers in their journey.
Trip Action Plan and Safety Protocols
Prior to the trip, we will send out a covid19 checklist form to all individuals traveling along with a standard fit to travel questionnaire.
We will be booking single rooms without a supplemental charge. Except for couples unless otherwise instructed.
We will have multiple temperature toolkits on every day of the tours in which temperatures will be taken of all travelers at the start of every tour.
All tour guides and drivers will wear a mask and free masks will be provided on every day of the tours.
We will be offering assigned seats in vehicles to ensure social distancing.
For larger groups, rather than reducing group sizes, we will have multiple vehicles to an average of 8 people in each vehicle depending on the size of the vehicle this number can be adjusted. And since most of our groups are usually family, friends, acquaintances etc. who already know each other, we try to make this intimate.
Hand sanitizers and disinfectant wipes and spray bottles will be provided to each individual.
In some countries, we will be doing an itinerary reset by altering some of the walking tours to avoid crowded sites to think about off-the-beaten-path sites that we can visit that will illuminate the spirit and soul.
If while on tour an individual shows symptoms, we will follow cdc and WHO guidelines.
Important Resources - Public Health + Safety
There is a vast maze of overabundant information out there regarding covid19 for travelers. However, we have gathered the important resources interesting articles in one distilled digest that are timely and relevant just so you don’t have to. Bookmark this page and check back often. And please, reach out to us via email: info@trailblazertravelz.com with any needs or questions you may have. We are here to help and care for you when it matters most so do not hesitate…
General information from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.
COVID-19 information and resources from the World Health Organization.
COVID-19 information and resources for travel within the EU & UK.
Read the latest news and updates on the COVID-19 outbreak from the TSA.
State Department Resource for current travel advisory notifications and precautions.
We advise all our customers and prospective customers to enroll in STEP!!!
What is STEP?
The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service to allow U.S. citizens and nationals traveling and living abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. In addition, STEP also sends local safety and health alerts to enrollees and helps the department of state to contact U.S citizens in an emergency abroad. During the pandemic-related evacuation this year, STEP enrollees were automatically kept up-to-date with updated information on repatriation flights.
Benefits of Enrolling in STEP
Receive important information from the Embassy about safety conditions in your destination country, helping you make informed decisions about your travel plans.
Help the U.S. Embassy contact you in an emergency, whether natural disaster, civil unrest, or family emergency.
Help family and friends get in touch with you in an emergency. Stay Informed, Stay Connected, Stay Safe!
This is why at Trailblazer Travelz we highly encourage every single individual in our groups to enroll in STEP. It’s free, simple, and easy. Visit: step.state.gov to enroll today.
Common Covid19 Related Travel Requirements by Country
As we slowly begin to surface from our long collective confinement and what seemed like an interminable moment, we believe that Africa is going to be the ideal destination in the new world of travel. Understandably, there continue to be concerns around global travel – however, vaccination roll-outs taking place in many countries in the continent along with our stringent COVID health and safety protocols, make us your go-to travel company for travels to Africa.
Mind you we are very much alert and cognizant of the WHO and CDC guidelines for international travel and especially “the CDC travel health notices” in every single country on the continent. And here in this dedicated Covid travel page, we have outlined some common covid19 related travel requirements by country. Although, we have not listed all 56 countries on the continent yet, however, a lot of the top countries are already listed. We will continue to update as we get consistent and clear guidelines and requirements from the rest of the countries.
CDC uses Travel Health Notices (THNs) to alert travelers and other audiences to health threats around the world and advise on how to protect themselves. On November 21, 2020, CDC adapted its 3-level notice system to a 4-level system for COVID-19 and updated criteria used to determine THN levels. The system was updated to align with the same incidence rate or case count thresholds adopted by recognized public health organizations and shares a common 4-level structure with the U.S. Department of State’s Travel Advisory. The 4-level system categorizes destinations, including international destinations and United States Territories, into the following levels:
Level 4: Very high level of COVID-19 Travelers should avoid all travel to these destinations.
Level 3: High level of COVID-19 Travelers should avoid all nonessential travel to these destinations.
Level 2: Moderate level of COVID-19 Travelers at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 should avoid all nonessential travel to these destinations.
Level 1: Low level of COVID-19 All travelers should wear a mask, stay at least 6 feet/2 meters from people who are not from your travel group, avoid crowds, wash their hands often or use hand sanitizer, and watch their health for signs of illness.
Travel Requirements
All air passengers coming to the United States, including U.S. citizens, are required to have a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before they board a flight to the United States. See the Frequently Asked Questions on the CDC website for more information. The testing mandate applies to passengers over age 2, and requires them to produce a negative coronavirus test result taken within the previous three days. If a delayed or missed flight pushes the departure beyond that, a new test is required. An exemption applies to those who can show proof of having recovered from the virus in the previous three months. Masks are required on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States and in U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and bus or rail stations.
Follow all entry requirements for your destination and provide any required or requested health information.
If you do not follow your destination’s requirements, you may be denied entry and required to return to the United States.
Before traveling back to the United States by air, get tested with a viral test no more than 3 days before your flight departs. The test result must be negative. Keep a copy of your test results with you during travel in case you are asked for them. See Frequently Asked Questions for more information about this requirement. Follow all destination and airline recommendations or requirements.
Viral tests are used to look for current infection
A viral test checks specimens from your nose or your mouth to find out if you are currently infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Viral tests can be performed in a laboratory, at a testing site (such as a public health clinic or doctor’s office), or at home. Two types of viral tests can be used: nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) and antigen tests.
What to do after a viral test
If you test positive for COVID-19, know what protective steps to take if you are sick.
Most people have mild COVID-19 illness and can recover at home without medical care. Contact your healthcare provider if your symptoms get worse or if you have questions about your health.
If you test negative for COVID-19, you probably were not infected at the time your sample was collected. This does not mean you will not get sick:
A negative test result only means that you did not have COVID-19 at the time of testing or that your sample was collected too early in your infection.
You could also be exposed to COVID-19 after the test and then get infected and spread the virus to others.
If you have symptoms later, you may need another test to determine if you are infected with the virus that causes COVID-19.
Requirement for Proof of Negative COVID-19 Test or Recovery from COVID-19 for All Air Passengers Arriving in the United States
On January 12, 2021, CDC announced an Order requiring all air passengers arriving to the US from a foreign country to get tested no more than 3 days before their flight departs and to present the negative result or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 to the airline before boarding the flight. Air passengers will also be required to confirm that the information they present is true in the form of attestation. This Order is effective as of 12:01 am EST (5:01 am GMT) on January 26, 2021.
For the full list of requirements and exemptions, please review the language in the Order.
After You Travel Recommendations
Get tested 3-5 days after travel AND stay home and self-quarantine for 7 days after travel.
Even if you test negative, stay home and self-quarantine for the full 7 days.
If your test is positive, isolate yourself to protect others from getting infected.
If you don’t get tested, it’s safest to stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days after travel.
Avoid being around people who are at increased risk for severe illness for 14 days, whether you get tested or not.
Always follow state and local recommendations or requirements related to travel.
People who have recently visited or traveled through countries with Covid-19 mutations, such as South Africa, maybe denied entry or be subject to additional quarantine restrictions in some of the places listed below.
Americans may enter with proof of a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before departure. To leave the country, travelers must present a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of their scheduled departure. However, there is an acute shortage of PCR tests, according to the U.S. Embassy in Botswana. As a result, almost all tests in Botswana are now rapid antigen tests.
Visitors must present a negative Covid-19 PCR test in English or French upon arrival in Ouagadougou that is no more than five days old. Those arriving without a test will be given a rapid test at the airport at a cost of $155 and will be detained until results are available. A negative PCR test dated within five days is also required to fly out from the airport.
THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: LEVEL 4.
American tourists must quarantine for 14 days upon the arrival. While a negative PCR test is not requested by the country, some airlines may require it to board.
Land and maritime borders are closed, but U.S. citizens are allowed to enter and leave by air with a negative PCR test dated within five days of arrival and departure. Those arriving at or transiting through the Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport are required to fill out an Air Travel Declaration Form and pay the fees online. People are encouraged to quarantine for two weeks.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: LEVEL 4.
Travelers age 11 and older must arrive with proof of a negative coronavirus test taken within three days of their departure. Another test will be given at the airport for $45, and people must self-quarantine until they receive a negative result, generally within 24 hours. Passengers must register before starting their travels. Proof of health and medical evacuation insurance is also required.
To exit the country, travelers must present a negative Covid-19 test result from an approved facility taken within three days of planned departure, according to the U.S. Embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The cost of the test is $30.
Americans age 6 and older are allowed to enter with written documentation of a negative Covid-19 test taken within 96 hours of arrival. Proof of health insurance is required, according to the U.S. Embassy in Egypt. Travelers to Sharm el-Sheikh are allowed to arrive without a PCR test, but they must be tested upon arrival and quarantine until a negative test result is received.
U.S. citizens over age 10 must have proof of a negative PCR test taken within five days of arrival, and must also quarantine for seven days, according to the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia.
A negative PCR test, not more than 72 hours old is required for entry, and another test will be given at the airport. The $150 fee for the test must be paid before boarding the inbound flight. Results are usually back within 30 minutes and if negative, the traveler is free to go.
A mandatory health form must be completed and submitted before travel. Passengers must have a negative Covid-19 PCR test taken in the 96 hours before arrival.
Travelers must present a negative Covid-19 test result dated within seven days of arrival and complete forms that provide contact information, travel history, and health symptoms. Anyone without the required documentation and those suspected of having the virus will be tested at the airport and their travel documents will be retained while they quarantine pending a negative result.
Americans must have a confirmed reservation at a tourist hotel to enter. Those age 11 and older must have proof of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before arrival. An online health form must be completed.
American tourists need a negative PCR test taken within seven days before their flights to enter. Anyone arriving with an older test will be placed in quarantine and tested at their own cost until a negative result is obtained. Children under 5 do not need a test. Those vaccinated against Covid-19 still need to show a negative test result.
Passengers must show certificates of negative Covid-19 tests dated within 72 hours of arrival and departure in order to enter and leave the country. Travelers staying for more than two weeks must quarantine for the first week and then get another virus test at no cost.
Americans age 10 and over must have a negative PCR test taken in the 96 hours before travel, and must pay for another test that will be done in Nigeria a week after arrival. Visitors must self-isolate until a negative result for the second test has been received. All visitors must register at the Nigeria International Travel Portal in order to board their flight.
Visitors over age 5 must have proof of a negative RT-PCR test performed in the 72 hours before boarding their flight. It should be uploaded to the Passenger Locator Form. Another $60 test will be done at the airport and travelers must wait for the results at a transit hotel, expected to be about 24 hours. Even after getting a negative result, visitors must self-quarantine for seven days after which they will be tested again at no additional charge. Tourists scheduled to visit national parks are not required to quarantine but must have a negative test within the previous 72 hours. Travelers departing Rwanda must receive a negative PCR within 72 hours before departure.
Travelers over age 2 must have proof of a negative Covid-19 PCR test taken five days before arrival in order to board their flight to Senegal. All travelers must complete a traveler location form.
The country is open to those who have proof of a negative PCR test taken less than 72 hours before departure and who complete a Health Travel Authorization. Vaccination status does not affect entry, although the country encourages visitors to be fully immunized before travel.
Travelers must present a negative Covid-19 test result taken within 72 hours before departure. Those without a test must quarantine at their own cost. Many land crossings are closed. Some labs report greater than a 72-hour turnaround for PCR tests, which exceeds the C.D.C. requirement for entry back into the United States, the U.S. Embassy said.
Passengers arriving on an international flight to Tanzania must complete a Health Surveillance Form and undergo screening, including a possible Covid-19 test. Test results do not reliably come back in 72 hours, according to the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania.
All passengers must have proof of a negative Covid-19 PCR test taken within three days of traveling in order to board their flight. The results should also be uploaded to a traveler declaration form, where a $75 payment is also made for a second PCR test given upon arrival at Lomé Airport. Visitors need to download and activate a Togo Safe app before leaving the airport in order to avoid quarantine in a state facility for at least two weeks, although they are still required to self-isolate until they receive a negative result from their second virus test. Exit testing at the traveler’s expense is required 72 hours in advance of the departing flight.
Those age 12 and older must show the results of a negative PCR test written in Arabic, English, or French that was taken within 72 hours of arrival before departure (120 hours before arriving in Tunisia). Proof of accommodation or a letter of invitation is requested, and a self-quarantine is mandatory. The usual duration is 14 days, although travelers can shorten it by paying for a PCR test on the seventh day; if the result is negative, they are free to leave. A health declaration form must be completed before arrival.
Tourists may visit with a negative PCR test taken no more than 120 hours before their flight into the country. The government also requires departing passengers to present a negative test taken not more than 120 hours before they are scheduled to leave the country.
Visitors to Zambia must show results of a negative PCR test taken in the previous 72 hours. Those without a test will be denied entry. Additional tests may be conducted at random at the airport.
People entering Zimbabwe must have received a negative Covid-19 test result 48 hours before arrival, or they may be denied entry. Nonresidents are not required to quarantine, although returning residents, regardless of citizenship, must quarantine for 14 days, according to the U.S. Embassy in Zimbabwe. A negative test is also required within 48 hours of departure to leave the country. Land borders are closed.
