Traveling & Working During a Pandemic

Corona Arch (Moab, Utah)

Recently, we traveled to Salt Lake City and Moab, Utah from Oakland, California to get away from the poor air quality and for our mental health. We recognize that it’s a privilege to be able to work remotely and to be able to travel at a time like this. We also knew that staying safe from COVID-19 was a high priority for us since my partner works at a federal health center. Here are some things we did to stay safe:

Preparing for the Trip

1. Bring sheets, blankets, and pillowcases (hotels have been reported for not taking proper precautions), slippers (because I don’t know … COVID foot germs?!), hand sanitizer, coffee maker (we heard some hotels were removing them due to COVID-safety), Clorox wipes, extra masks (see #3 below), bowls and utensils (so you won’t have to use paper cups and bowls in the room), a fan/heater/air purifier, and if you’d like, an Instant Pot (to cook to save money). 

2. Research the COVID-19 rates and rules for the areas that you’re traveling to and through. We read up on rates in both Nevada and Utah. Our research revealed that the rates were higher than we were expecting (which meant extra precautions) and that we may be encountering people without masks (which we did — A LOT).

3. If you’re financially able and have day long Zoom calls, book a 1-bedroom suite at a hotel. Having two separate rooms with a closed door worked wonders when both my partner and I were on Zoom calls. Most of my job is facilitating trainings or talking to clients on Zoom which meant I needed a private space for calls. Our original plan was to book a regular room and have one of us work from the bathroom (with a virtual background) or from the car. However, since we made refundable hotel reservations early (at least 4–6 weeks before travel), it only cost us $5–10 more per night for a 1-bedroom suite at hotels vs. a regular room.

4. Get a wifi hotspot. We were lucky in that my partner’s work had a wifi hotspot which came in handy due to SLOW hotel wifi connections (even Marriott’s enhanced wifi couldn’t handle my Zoom meetings). The hotspot on my T-Mobile phone was only slightly faster. 

When You Arrive

1. Clean the hotel Room. This was the FIRST thing we did after we checked in. Using Clorox wipes, we wiped down EVERYTHING in the room (all surfaces like desks, counters, nightstands; the thermostat (which apparently never gets wiped down); the TV remote (an alternative is to put it inside a zip lock bag to use); sofa; chair; headboard) — pretty much everything that our skin may touch. We also removed throw pillows from the sofa and blankets and put them in the closet. We used our own sheets, pillowcases, and blankets and changed them out at every different hotel. Most hotels have discontinued daily housekeeping services due to COVID-19 safety precautions. 

2. Turn off the hotel’s HVAC system. There have been a few reports that hotel HVAC systems may transmit airborne germs if their systems aren’t maintained — to be safe, we turned it off and used our all-in-one heater/fan/air purifier.

3. Change out your masks regularly. We knew ahead of time that we were going to areas where people wouldn’t wear masks. Since we brought extra masks, we were able to change them out every day or every other day. 

4. Plan your days carefully. You may want to explore and get out to see the sites while you’re traveling! Plan meetings and calls so that you’ll have some down time.

5. Only getting take out from restaurants. Although Utah allowed indoor dining in various places, we were still wary about being indoors with little social distancing and no masks. We got takeout from restaurants. 

While following all of these tips may not guarantee that you won’t get COVID-19, it may help reduce your chances of doing so. We scheduled a COVID-19 test about five days after we got home, and we tested negative. Stay safe, prepare for your trip, and have a good time!

For pictures from my trip and tips, follow me on IG @aydentravels.