Spoken Query

My parents are traveling back home to India and one of the requirements for exempting them from institutional quarantine is to submit an RT-PCR negative report upon arrival in India. There are two types of COVID tests- the RT-PCR test is a lab test where results typically take 2-3 days while the Rapid test has the same-day result. The COVID test can also be taken at the airport upon arrival in India. However, you will have to make an appointment and wait for at least 8-10 hours at the airport until your test results arrive. That makes me think that they will probably be doing a Rapid Test since you have already arrived in India as opposed to their requirement of RT-PCR test before boarding the flight. To avoid the long wait time for the test result, we decided to get it done from here so that they had head back straight home after the long 24 hours journey. I live in Maryland and there are a lot of sites where one can get a COVID test done. Link here: https://coronavirus.baltimorec...

My parents have come to visit me in February 2020 and they are supposed to return to India in May 2020. We all know that there is a lockdown till 12th April 2020 in India and 30th April in the US- we don't know if these dates are going to be extended. As on today traveling is UNCERTAIN. So, what options are available if they have to  extend  their stay? Change of Flight Tickets Most airlines have begun changing their policies to create more flexibility for changing bookings. So, if you’re planning — or have already scheduled — a trip for the near future then, depending upon the airline, here are your options:  You can cancel the ticket.   Some airlines are offering   e-credit (e.g. Delta airlines), while some are letting you cancel the ticket  without having to commit to a new flight date right away (e.g. Lufthansa) .  In case you want a full cash refund, I would suggest that you wait up to 72 hours before your flight. In the meanwhi...

Your mother runs out of her blood pressure medication.  Can she refill her prescription at a U.S. pharmacy?  You forgot to bring your Ayurvedic medicines.  Can your parents mail it to you from India?  Your father is traveling to the U.S and wants to carry his prescription medications that aren’t available OTC in the US.  Can you?   These are just some of the questions people who need medications worry about.  So, what are the rules for refilling or shipping medications or flying to the US with them?  How to refill medicines at the local pharmacy in the US? If you need a prescription filled, you should visit a local doctor as very few pharmacies can fill a foreign prescription, and this is determined on a state-by-state basis. Therefore, it is very important that you have a travel insurance and your foreign prescription. You need to show your foreign prescription to the local US doctor and request him/her to issue you a local...

The Yoshino cherry blossoms are heading towards full bloom. In a normal year about 1.5 million visitors will congregate around the Tidal Basin area to witness this event. However, this year due to the coronavirus crisis, local agencies and health officials are discouraging crowds and recommending that any visitors maintain a safe distance.  This can be disheartening for a lot of people, especially if you have been planning this for a long time or traveling from afar.  So, this leads to the million dollar question: Is it safe to visit the Tidal Basin to see the  cherry blossoms ? Tidal Basin is open and accessible for strolling and walking. However, t he National Park Service has placed placards around the Tidal Basin warning visitors about the dangers of coronavirus during peak bloom this Saturday (03.21.2020) .  “Although the park is not closed, we encourage all visitors, particularly the most vulnerable, including the elderly and people...

We already know that the coronavirus outbreak has put air travel in crisis. Many of us with upcoming leisure trips are wondering if our flights will be canceled by the airlines or if we should be canceling them ourselves.  Such uncertainty can drive us to cancel our flights immediately, especially, if the travelers are senior citizens with pre-existing medical conditions like my parents or if you are traveling with kids.  For instance, we have an upcoming trip to Mexico in April 2020 and we are booked on Delta airlines for the US-Mexico leg and Volaris from Cancun to Mexico City. At this time, about USD 2500 worth of our flight tickets is at stake.  No cash refund unless the airlines cancel the flight. Unfortunately, if your flight hasn't been canceled by the airlines, there is a possibility that you may not get a 100% cash refund (if you have non-refundable ticket). However, a lot of airlines (including Delta) are offering e-credits/ travel credits that you will be...

So, this year (2020), we decided to visit Mexico to see the Chichen Itza pyramids. Our plans were made during my yearly India trip in October 2019 (much before the coronavirus outbreak happened) and since then we had started making all the reservations, i.e. flight tickets, hotels, local tours, etc. Based on our Mexico travel dates, my parents also booked their flight to the US. They arrived here in February when the coronavirus news was still at a nascent stage. However, since last week, both coronavirus and news about it have suddenly spread like a wildfire. With over 3000 people dead worldwide, a lot of countries have issued travel bans. This has led to airlines and cruises canceling their routes. Therefore, we are wondering whether we should opt out of going to Mexico  even though there are just twelve confirmed cases of Covid-19 there.  Moreover, the U.S. State Department has maintained its Level 1 travel advisory-  exercise normal precautions - for most of Mex...

Much before the city of Washington, D.C., was planned, the banks of the Potomac River were occupied by wealthy families. Over time, the numbers of these palatial estates dwindled as the capital city grew in the 19th century. However, some examples still remain on the Virginia side of the Potomac River with George Washington's estate being one such example. I had gone to Mount Vernon last year and loved it! It is a beautiful historic place to visit and is a perfect day trip if you are in the MD, VA or DC area. This year my parents are in town and I knew that I had to take them to Mount Vernon. I planned this trip way before they booked their flights to the US and made sure they arrived before President's Day so that we could take advantage of Mount Vernon's free admission day. We reached at 9:15 am and went straight to the Ford Orientation Center to collect the timed tickets for the Mansion Tour. We wanted to see the orientation film at the Ford Center, however,...