Covid complications

 Not quite yet home from our trip to Switzerland.  I woke up about 3 am today due to jet lag and have been thinking about travel advice. Authorities are collecting reams of data and continually changing regulatory guidance to cope with this pandemic.  What I have observed:  1) You should be vaccinated, but it will not be enough.  Current Covid tests will be required.  2) The test costs can be anywhere from free to about $200. Test center sites can be temporary and may not be well-marked or advertised.  Some sites demand cash.  3) Do not travel without a cell phone with reliable and quick download capacity. (I have upgraded mine; we barely got by.). 4) The forms you will need to fill out are ONLY online. Download form, fill out extensive questions, verify statements, upload data (passport, boarding pass, cell number, your destination address, etc.) Then submit and await verification that it was received.  Requirements will vary by country.

For Covid, authorities not only want to identify you, and verify your status, but also be able to track you in case of an outbreak. We had to download a form, fill it out, submit, get a return certificate, and then.... no one ever asked for the certificate.  Leaving on our trip, vaccination by itself was stated to be adequate to enter Switzerland.  A few days later that was upgraded to a Covid test.  While staying at a hotel in Zurich, they upgraded requirements to where you needed to show current vaccination to be allowed in their restaurant. More people started eating at their outdoor patio.

An airline agent told us that she has had multiple people break down crying from the stress of compliance. Imagine going through a long line, then discovering that you cannot provide the required information before your flight leaves. (We shared that feeling of desperation.)  Add in flight delays and cancellations (both of which we experienced).  Is your test good for 48 hours, 72 hours, or three calendar days.... the answers vary.  Is the rapid test good enough, or do you require the more complicated PCR test.... we were given uncertain answers. If you get a “breakthrough” infection, expect a hotel room quarantine.

But Switzerland was great!