The Alberta Government is currently not recommending travel at the present time.

Travelling abroad is something that has been but a dream to most Albertans during the pandemic.

Many are missing the feeling of sunshine and the taste of saltwater. But, when the Alberta government released the International Travellers Pilot Program, avid traveller Jordan

Passengers were spaced out at every aspect of the flight, including boarding the plane. Photo courtesy of Jordan Grant. Grant jumped at the chance to get her feet in the ocean once again.

At the time of her trip, her destination of choice, Maui, Hawaii, offered a program that would allow her to skip the 10-day required quarantine program as long as she was able to provide a negative test result from a state-approved trusted testing partner.

Grant paid $150 to get her COVID-19 test, registered her negative test with the Maui government, and arrived at the airport with a small group of friends that she was travelling with.

She said that the experience of travelling during a pandemic is much different than what everyone is used to but she felt very safe at both airports in Calgary and Maui.

“I felt safer at the airport than I did going grocery shopping. That is how clean it was,” Grant explained.

She said that there was a lot of signage, and everyone was very well spaced out. When she got to the gate, she had to show her COVID-19 test and get a temperature check before getting on the plane.

Once on the plane, everyone was very spaced out. “I think the person closest to me was five rows away.”

During the flight itself, the cabin crew had full PPE for minimal contact. She said she received her own personal sealed bag with a bottle of water, a fresh mask, hand sanitizer, and some pretzels.

Once Grant landed in Maui, she was pleasantly surprised by how seriously the country took the COVID-19 rules.

“In Maui, masks are enforced a lot more than they are at home. You cannot walk outside without a mask on, and people were getting ticketed. If you were walking on the beach, you had to have a mask on. In that sense, there was a lot more diligence going on with that. I think that there are a lot more people who want to be travelling and wanting to respect the fact that there is a pandemic going on and keeping their masks on. So, I thought that was great.”

Upon returning home, Grant registered for the Alberta Government's International Travellers Pilot Program at the Calgary Airport. She had to quarantine for two days until she received a negative test. After that, she was free to get groceries and live within the current government restrictions. Seven days after returning home, she was required to get another COVID-19 test. She also was required to download contact tracing apps by the Alberta Government when applying for the program.

Reflecting on her trip abroad, Grant said she had a great time and encourages others to get some sunshine if it is allowed but does urge everyone to microscopely go over detail.

“I personally say go for it, but everyone has to do their due diligence though.” She explained. “I personally travelled with extra hand-sanitizer and disinfecting wipes. Even though the plane was clean before I got it, I wiped everything down."

“Look into what your insurance will cover when you are away. Do you have the right amount of funds to get you home in case of an emergency? Or if the border closes while you are there and you can’t home, do you have the funds to live there for a bit? There is so much that goes into it.”

Travelling has also been a very controversial topic as of late. The Government is currently not recommending traveling and COVID-19 restrictions are changing almost weekly.

“There is a lot of people who aren’t a fan of it. I have friends who did not agree with the fact that I went. I fully respect and understand that this is a really difficult time for a lot of people. But, I will not stop living my life as long as I’m respectful and caring about everyone else’s health and my own.”

Grant returned home on January 2, 2021, and has been working from home. Since then, the pre-travel testing program through Hawaii has been postponed until further notice. Now all visitors to the island must quarantine for  10 days upon arrival.

The International Travellers Program is still available through the Alberta Government.

Photo courtesy of Jordan Grant.