Have Vaccine, Will Travel?

Prague's famous Charles Bridge

While rollouts of vaccinations against COVID 19 have been happening in many countries to varying degrees since the beginning of this year, it looks as though things have really turned a corner at least in the U.S. when it comes to having well over a majority of its population vaccinated in time for summer.

Other nations, for various reasons, have not had as much success, and that has included the Czech Republic. However, just this week we here are starting to turn a corner, too, when it comes to vaccines.  Just today the New York Times published an article titled “E.U. Set to Let Vaccinated U.S. Tourists Visit This Summer.”

That was the news I’ve certainly been waiting for and I imagine that many of you have been waiting for, as well. No, I don’t think it means that the pandemic is over, nor do I think that by this summer we will return to full, normal travel at the scale it was before.  And I’m sure many people will still not be in any rush to get on a plane and travel abroad, vaccine or not. Furthermore, just last week the U.S. Government added the Czech Republic to its “do not travel” list.

However, I do know that that designation can change, and I expect it will before the summer is over.  And even if it does not, I will be happy if tourists can at least visit some other EU countries and just start to think about visiting Prague in the near future.

News out of Prague and the Czech Republic gives me some optimism.  Following a long period of persistent high case numbers that have plagued us since last autumn, our COVID cases finally began to fall in recent weeks. Prague is in particularly good shape (and it consistently had lower numbers than other areas in the country). And vaccinations are finally ramping up, with people sixty and older being allowed to register for the first time this week. Additionally:

• Grammar school children returned to classes on April 12. Libraries and a few shops opened then, too.
• All shops and markets will open on May 3 provided our COVID cases continue to decline.
  
• The above should be followed with at least outdoor dining and the opening of hotels with limited capacity.

So there is hope. Czechs are already beginning to book their summer holidays to destinations abroad but within Europe, as talk of a “vaccine passport” for EU citizens and residents is also underway.
 
I certainly hope that you will be able to travel soon and that, perhaps, you might be able to come to Prague! If so, please consider taking one of my private tours, or check out my Prague guidebooks. And if you can’t visit this year, consider a virtual tour! Contact me for more information.
 
Whatever your travel plans, please be safe!