Be safe, follow guidelines on return

Travelling had never been so forced. The pleasure part of it has totally gone while the fear part got more pronounced. All due to the COVID-19, which has made travel an urgent option, either to get out of a stranded situation or meet the separated family members. Safety, however, is a mandatory call for every traveller. It is a much-needed co-operation of an individual that can keep the pandemic at bay. Shahabuddin Mohammed was stuck in a similar situation. He had gone to the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh in the month of March to take care of his son’s secondary school examination leaving his wife and another son in Salalah. Suddenly there were lockdowns and flight restrictions that kept him stranded in his hometown till the end of July. He managed all possible approvals and came to Salalah in the first week of August and reunited with his younger son and wife. He is currently under home isolation. The message that he wanted to pass on to everyone is to follow the government guidelines to break the pandemic chain and save near and dear ones from the pandemic. He himself is strictly following the isolation guidelines at his house and calling it the only way to keep safe from the disease. Besides the challenges of transport from his hometown to Hyderabad, hygiene and social distancing, he did not face any problem in his journey till Salalah. He landed at Muscat International Airport where thorough screening was done on him. He was counselled by a team of health experts and given guidelines of home quarantine on arrival in Salalah. “People at the Muscat airport were very co-operative. They were guiding us at every step.” As a matter of suggestion to future travellers he suggested keeping good quality face mask, gloves and sanitisers because they are mandatory items. Optional are PPE (personal protective equipment) kit and face shield. Shahabuddin opted for both mandatory and optional items while reporting at Hyderabad airport. Shahabuddin, who is under home isolation till August 14, reiterated the need to follow all the guidelines given at the airport on arrival. “It is meant for my safety. We can keep our families safe if we follow the guidelines.” Suhani Singh also had the same experience but for her travel from Kolkata to New Delhi. She had to manage her trip to New Delhi in a hurry because the flight to Muscat was from Delhi Airport. After reaching Delhi she had to wait for 48 hours go get the Muscat flight. An undergraduate student, Suhani was stuck in Kolkata for the sake of her studies. Her parents live in Muscat. They were happy to bring her back despite all the difficulties and were happy also for Suhani who managed all the difficulties on her own. Suhani also has a call for everyone to follow the government guidelines, which are well researched and meant for the welfare of people.