Yep, You Should Actually Get Outside for That Walk, 41 Cloth Face Masks You Can Buy Online Right Now, 50 Family Road Trips The Whole Gang Will Love, How To Deal With Uncertainty During Coronavirus. Private Rooms When I finally made it to the dining room the next day, after official breakfast hours were over, Sandy and Linda greeted me. Dr. Arnot said he has submitted a proposal to the Biden Administration to mandate carbon dioxide meters in public indoor spaces like bars and restaurants. 00:31) (CG: DR. BOB ARNOT, INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERT) 10:25 THE REASON WE STILL HAVE HUNDREDS TO THOUSANDS OF CASES EVERY SINGLE DAY IT'S AS IF PEOPLE WERE WALKING INTO BURNING BUILDINGS AND WE DIDN'T HAVE SMOKE DETECTORS DR. BO ARNOT IS A LONGTIME MEDICAL JOURNALIST AND AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERT, WHO TREATED EBOLA PATIENTS IN AFRICA. Heres how to stay safe. The curtain of my cabin was closed, and not wanting me to miss the view, Linda hopped on our cars intercom to make an announcement. She said she was impressed with Amtraks COVID-19 precautions. But the rail systems officials have posted videos that agree with prominent experts on viral transmission: Amtrak trains are likely safer than planes for avoiding the deadly virus. It has installed signs to encourage social distancing in high-traffic areas, such as the stations and cafe cars, where it has also put up plastic barriers at the customer counters. He adds, Weve seen this in studies of flu transmission on airplanes. While the flu virus doesnt necessarily spread throughout the entire plane, a sick person who expels the virus into the air is likely to spray contaminated droplets on the people in the seats around them. Amtrak typically makes track announcements between 10 and 15 minutes before departure, and I wanted to get a good seat. Amtraks Coast Starlight is a Superliner, a fancy term that basically means its a double-decker train which, as I would find out, is great for views, but can get a little rocky in your private room. Before the pandemic, many people would not think twice about ordering a ride-share car or hailing a taxi. "Two of our new buses have an air purification, a U.V. Learn more atAmtrak.com and connect with us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. I flagged down Linda, who promptly set up my bed, made sure I was set for the night, and then left me to listen to the audiobook Id downloaded and text my friends during the on-and-off pockets of service (I didnt attempt to join the Wi-Fi this go-around.) In fact, Dr. Arnot said he thought the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention focused too much early in the coronavirus pandemic response on cleaning surfaces (including the 19% of Americans who put bleach on their food to kill coronavirus) and not enough on lowering transmission through good ventilation for indoor spaces. Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. In addition to snagging window seats, bus riders should look for the same safety features they would on a subway: a mask requirement, good ventilation and adequate spacing between passengers. "We were at 2,000 PPM for the local classrooms here, and we opened the window and we were at 550 PPM," Arnot said.The doctors say the upper limit of any building you would want to be in would be around 800 PPM, measured by CO2 meters that are available online and in most home improvement stores for around $100.Some Maine schools, like in Gorham, have used federal relief bill money to install upgrade their ventilation systems. With COVID-19s onrush, that hope was shunted to a political siding. Keeping the windows open and making sure the air system is set to take in outside air instead of recycling it should reduce the risk. This past spring the novel coronavirus tore through New York City, reaching a peak of thousands of new cases per day in April. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. That time, I had bought a business class ticket, an upgrade that came with two free bottles of water, an onboard food credit, and even a free early evening wine tasting. (FILE CHIP UP) SOME SCHOOLS -- LIKE IN GORHAM -- HAVE USED CARES ACT MONEY TO INSTALL THE C-0-2 SENSORS (CG: HEATHER PERRY, GORHAM SCHOOLS) 01:26 WE'RE SETTING THOSE CO2 SENSORS TO THE LOWEST POSSIBLE LEVEL, WHICH IS ENSURING THAT OUT SYSTEMS ARE EXCHANGING AIR, AT THE FASTEST POSSIBLE RATE." Amtrak passengers can now see how full their train will be upon booking amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A September report by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) examined the coronaviruss spread in cities around the globe that had robust public transit systems. Over the past few months, Ive taken four trains over three Amtrak routes, Wunderman told me. Though it was a shared space . I observed room attendants entering the private rooms of passengers who were not wearing masks. Those improvements allowed all Amtrak trains in that stretch to bump up their speeds. Upon reaching out to Amtrak, a spokesperson for the company said, "The health and safety of our riders and crew continues to be our number one priority. With mask mandates and capacity limits lifting in Maine on May 24, some experts are warning we need to take a closer look at something they feel has been overlooked in this pandemic: the quality of the air we are sharing inside. We have studied, analyzed, and made improvements to the Amtrak travel experience from beginning to end, focusing on the safety and health of our people and travelers.". THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN DO: IN HOMES, SCHOOLS, BUSINESSES, EVEN PUBLIC TRANSIT -- TO LOWER THE RISK IN FACT: IN A LOT OF CASES -- THE SOLUTION IS SUPER SIMPLE. (CG: DR. BOB ARNOT, INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERT) 06:30 MIT JUST CAME OUT WITH A BRAND NEW PAPER TWO DAYS AGO SAYING IT DOESNT MATTER IF YOURE 6 OR 60 FEET AWAY THE KEY THING IS YOU NEED TO HAVE FRESH OUTDOOR AIR QUALITY INDOORS. Federal law says freight trains must yield to passenger trains when both want to use the same track. The collision occurred at an unguarded rail crossing on a section of Quarry Road that only serves . More information: Michael John Patton et al, COVID-19 bacteremic co-infection is a major risk factor for mortality, ICU admission, and mechanical ventilation, Critical Care (2023). WASHINGTON Amtrak successfully advanced its COVID-19 recovery efforts throughout its 50th Anniversary fiscal year, through continued safety measures for customers and employees, increased train service levels in line with growing demand and continued building a strong foundation for modernization and growth. HE SAYS -- WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE AIR QUALITY OF THE SPACES WE'RE WALKING INTO. (CG: PATRICIA QUINN, NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND PASSENGER RAIL AUTHORITY) 09:25 IT EXCHANGES SEVERAL TIMES AN HOUR. One such innovation is the expansion of reserved seating on Acela trains. If the tests go well, METRO may add the purification to the rest of the fleet.For the buses, ridership is down about 60% from pre-pandemic levels.METRO launched a joint website with regional transit systems to provide information to riders about safety protocols.This summer, expect lots of open windows on the buses too to add extra ventilation, officials said.That, this summer -- and even heading into colder months -- may be the key, according to Dr. Arnot:"Fundamentally you've got to have clean outdoor air, indoors and where could you possibly have better air than the state of Maine. Travel + Leisure is published by Meredith Corporation under license from Travel + Leisure Co. Amtrak. Sometimes, doing all this extra work makes me feel paranoid, and I almost didnt do it this time. 09:20 CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY SAYS IT'S THE BEST OVERALL INDICATOR OF WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE FRESH AIR IN THAT ROOM OR NOT 09:26 // BUTTED // 09:32 IN WASHINGTON STATE NOW IF YOU GOT TO A RESTAURANT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CO2 READING. COVID-19 Innovative Adaptations As COVID-19 has greatly impacted the transportation industry, Amtrak has had to make some innovative adaptations. Most of these flights occurred early on in the pandemic, however, and in the case of the March 1 flight, masks were likely not worn, the researchers wrote. They announced several times, you must wear the mask over your nose and mouth or we can kick you off, she said. After taking Amtrak's Coast Starlight train from Portland to Los Angeles during the pandemic, one traveler shares her experience of the 30-hour journey. It sits in the air and moves over time and space," said Dr. Bob Arnot, a longtime medical journalist and infectious disease expert who treated Ebola patients in Africa in the early 2000s. Even though the train runs parallel to certain sections of the freeway, these are vantage points that you can only witness from the train. Copyright 2022 Travel + Leisure Co. All Rights Reserved. The truth is that few of us are wearing masks with strong enough filters to reliably screen viruses out of the air. And at any given meal time, I found that only three out of five tables were ever occupied. As the coronavirus pandemic .css-9cezh6{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#E61957;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-9cezh6:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}rages on around the world, experts reiterate that the safest way to travel is via your own two feetpreferably using them to go on a nice, solitary walk around the block or through the woods. Some drivers have even installed a plastic shield between the front and back seats. 8 Supporting data . An onboard filtration system continuously refreshes the space every four to five minutes, removing air from the car's interior and replacing it with new, conditioned, external air. In fact, a recent MIT study found the risk of being exposed to the coronavirus could be as great whether a person is 6 feet or 60 feet away if the air is mixed. For the most part, it seemed the protocols were being adhered to, but when staff seemed more lax about sanitizing and enforcing mask policy, passengers used that opportunity to be less safe themselves.. And keeping conversation to a minimum could also reduce the danger because talking is known to release aerosols that can spread the virus. In fact, we have a full-time medical director and public health and safety team who have been on the frontlines throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. Although no mode of public transportation is completely safe, there are some concrete ways to reduce risk, whether on an airplane, train or busor even in a shared car. Nights, Holidays & Weekends: (800) 562-1904. Amtraks ridership hit an all-time record nationwide in 2019, then skidded by about 90% in April when cases of COVID-19 began soaring. Guidelines and suggestions only work if theyre enforced, and Amtrak has said that customers who refuse to wear a facial covering will be denied boarding, and those customers who still opt not to wear a facial covering will be provided with a full refund. "Losing ridership and revenue has been a real challenge," said Donna DeMartino, the LOSSAN Agency . In August the New York Times asked several international transportation agencies whether any superspreading events had been linked to mass transit, and they said none had. Travel on Amtrak to Virginia Wine Expo at the Main Street Station in Richmond, Va. Still, Lofgren reminds us that we need to be vigilant about maintaining six feet of space. Despite the release of a report in 1985 called Detroit-Chicago Corridor: High Speed Rail, nothing much changed. "Maine is known as an outdoors place, as a fresh air place, as a natural place.". In a case study of a bus in China, a passenger with the novel coronavirus was able to infect many other riders, including those seated up to seven rows away. Running on normal schedules are Amtraks other Michigan trains the Blue Water service that links Chicago to Battle Creek, Lansing, Flint and Port Huron; and the Pere Marquette between Chicago and Grand Rapids. "It's as if people were walking into burning buildings and we didn't have smoke detectors", "We know this is an airborne virus. Amtrak will continue to play an important role in the national transportation network for the next 50 years and beyond by operating a safe, environmentally efficient and fiscally responsible business by providing travelers with an experience that sets a new standard. Passengers traveling by Amtrak also must submit a health questionnaire, answering questions such as whether they have experienced COVID-19 symptoms within 24 hours of departure. Most passengers were respectful of the rules, though there was the occasional person who used this rule as a way to get around wearing a mask for an extended period of time in other sections, like the observation car. The need to extend safety systems and upgrade more track, officials said. Passenger train operator Amtrak claims to cycle air through cabins 44 times an hour. Travel news, guides and tips for anyone looking to get away. Then, in 2009, Amtrak installed a new high-tech safety system on 97 miles of track it owns in western Michigan reaching into Indiana. "Youll have much more control over your environment and you can go a long way without being in contact with other people. You can isolate from really everyone, so that, of course, becomes essentially just as safe as driving in your car, Khabbaza said, although you may still have to encounter people if you go to the dining car or a communal restroom or when you exit the train. All the others have people right next to you, she said. Continue reading with a Scientific American subscription. Many airlines now require passengers to wear a mask during flights except for mealtimes, and some are blocking off middle seats to allow more distancing between people. Detours with locals. Texas Eagle Train 21 which departed Chicago (CHI) on 2/27, is currently being delayed in Taylor (TAY) due to law enforcement activity ahead. "And that has really been something that I think has given people a sense of comfort. "We're investing in some additional CO2 sensors, we're setting those CO2 sensors to the lowest possible level, which is ensuring that out systems are exchanging air, at the fastest possible rate," Superintendent Heather Perry said in our report on schools last August.PUBLIC TRANSIT ADAPTSPublic transit systems have also been focusing on the ventilation component.Amtrak put out a video highlighting its air filtration system, citing numbers that it cycles air through the train cars on average 44 times an hour, replacing with fresh air about every 5 minutes. Each is said to boast a 4,400-horsepower diesel engine made by manufacturer Cummins in Indiana, which generates electricity that powers four electric motors to turn the drive wheels. Unfortunately, roaming around the train is a bad idea right nowand for the foreseeable future. There was also a metal utility sink, molded plastic wall, and an airplane-sized bathroom with a handheld shower nozzle over the toilet. 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