4B ❚ MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2020❚ USA TODAY MONEY
ping off the items you ordered and the
item itself with disinfectant wipes.
Make sure you’re using chemicals that
are known to kill the coronavirus.
Remove the gloves and rely on the
Centers for Disease Control and Preven-
tion’s top recommendation. Wash your
hands for at least 20 seconds in cold or
warm soapy water.Paying for your purchasesIt’s not wise to hand over your debit
or credit card anymore for your pur-
chases. You don’t know when the per-
son handling it last washed his or her
hands. Even worse, the person could be
infected or an asymptomatic carrier.
Here’s where tech helps. First, set up
your phone to use Apple Pay, Google Pay
or Samsung Pay. Think of it like a digital
wallet in your phone that replaces your
physical wallet. It contains your debit or
credit card number.
When you’re done shopping and pay-
ing for your purchases, unlock your
phone by using your face or entering
your passcode. Tap your phone on thereader at the cash register, and like mag-
ic, you’re done. The charge will be proc-
essed using the debit or credit card you
entered into your digital wallet.
Obviously, there are precise steps
you need to take before you can do this.Taking an Uber or LyftHow fabulous has it been to open
your phone, tap an app, and have some-
one ready to take you anywhere in a few
minutes? During the pandemic, ride-
hailing services have been deemed “es-
sential” in many areas transporting
medical personnel and the vulnerable
around. But does this mean it’s safe to
take an Uber or Lyft?
When you get into a car, you simply
cannot comply with the CDC’s social
distance rule of keeping six feet away
from anyone else.
Some drivers are using disinfectants
after each rider, but there’s no way to
know whether it was done correctly or
that it even happened. Avoid ride-hail-
ing services if you can.
I spoke with Sergio Avedian, who is asenior contributor at RideShareGuy-
.com, for a podcast about what it’s really
like to be an Uber driver during a pan-
demic. It’s genuinely frightening.Getting meals and food deliveredOnline meal home delivery compa-
nies such as Blue Apron, Hello Fresh,
and Home Chef see a surge in orders. It
makes sense because we’re all holed up
and need to eat.
Even though you ordered online, hu-
man hands put the boxes together that
contain the meat, sides, vegetables,
spices, instructions, and more. This ad-
vice applies if your groceries are deliv-
ered, too. According to the CDC, there is
no evidence food can infect you. Health
officials still urge people to carefully
clean packaging and to wash fruits and
vegetables as a precaution.
When you receive your package,
wear latex gloves and wipe the box
down with disinfecting wipes. Open the
package outside and throw the box
away. If it’s a shelf-stable item, you may
want to wipe it down with a disinfectant
and put it in a safe area separate from
the rest of your food. Let it sit for one to
three days.
If your item is perishable, wipe down
the container with disinfectant and put
it in the refrigerator immediately. Try to
isolate it from other items in your fridge.
Wait one to three days, then wipe it
down again before opening. Any fresh
ingredients like fruits or vegetables
should be carefully washed with soap
immediately before storage and wash
again before consuming.
If the item is something you need to
eat right away, follow similar rules. Use
latex gloves, sanitize the container it
came in, and use clean kitchen utensils
to transfer the food to a clean plate or
bowl. Discard the containers, any plas-
ticware, condiments and napkins.
Learn about all the latest technology
on the Kim Komando Show, the nation’s
largest weekend radio talk show.Don’t trade caution for convenience
Wipe down your online
order boxes, deliveries
Tech Talk
Kim KomandoSuddenly without much preparation,
Americans were told to stay home to
stop the spread of COVID-19. Remote
working was no longer an option just for
adventurous millennials. And parents
were asked to be full-time teachers.
Unemployment rates skyrocketed as
many small businesses closed. But at
the same time, I did the research and
found a silver lining. Twelve companies
are hiring more than 750,000 workers
right now during the pandemic.
Since my 20-plus-year career on na-
tional network radio and as a tech col-
umnist focuses strictly on living the
best digital life, I see other changes that
may not be readily apparent. What the
internet and technologies have driven in
terms of convenience must now be ap-
proached with caution. Let me explain
how.
Opening your Amazon boxes and
other online orders
One week before the news broke that
at least 10 Amazon warehouse facilities
had workers infected with the coronavi-
rus, I warned my audience not to simply
pull out a box cutter and grab their or-
ders out of a box. You can’t do that any-
more. Lots of people touch your online
orders.
Think about it. There are the people
who packed the order, the ones who
load the trucks and the final deliverer to
your home. Technically, the virus could
last for up to 24 hours on cardboard.
Only open your Amazon boxes, or
other online orders, outside and imme-
diately throw the box away. If you have
latex gloves, use them. Clean the wrap-
Open your Amazon boxes outdoors and throw the boxes away. Amazon
fulfillment centers have reported coronavirus cases. AFP FILE PHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGESOn the runways of every airport
there are black marks where the
tires of the landing gear touch down.
Over a period of time does the rub-
ber build up to the point that it be-
comes unsafe and has to be re-
moved?
- James B., Daniel Island, South
Carolina
Yes, the buildup of rubber deposits
can adversely affect the braking on a
runway when it is wet.
A typical airliner will deposit ap-
proximately a pound of rubber per tire
during a landing. High-use runways
build up tire deposits frequently.
Most airports have a runway main-
tenance plan that includes cleaning
the deposits. This cleaning is often
done at night when the demand is low-
er. There are a variety of ways to clean
the runway, including high pressure
water, solvents or a combination.
Why is the quality of the captain’s
public address system so bad com-
pared to the ones that the flight at-
tendants use? I often can hardly
hear the captain’s in-flight an-
nouncement once the plane is in the
air.
- Ray W, Tucson, Arizona
It varies dramatically from airplane
to airplane. One consideration is that
the pilots can only barely hear their
PAs, while the flight attendants hear
theirs clearly. As a result, if something
is wrong a flight attendant’s PA, it will
be reported to maintenance, whereas
the pilots may even not be aware their
is garbled.
John Cox is a retired airline captain
who runs Safety Operating Systems.
ASK THE CAPTAIN
Aircraft rubber
builds up
on runways
John Cox
Special to USA TODAY
Tire deposits build up on airport
runways. JUPITERIMAGES/GETTY IMAGES
to travel. China has already done that
and at the time of this writing, Italy was
scheduled to reopen its institutions in
early April. “Once all these things are in
place, life should resume normally and
travel will be safe again,” said Chantelle
Kern, CEO of The Italian On Tour, a bou-
tique Canadian tour operator.
Your travel agent will book the trip.
Travel advisers will do almost anything
for you, but more than anything they
want you to come home alive.
When you can buy travel insur-
ance.Many travel insurance companies
stopped selling policies after the out-
break. Some added new restrictions, es-
pecially on “cancel for any reason” pol-
icies. “That’s the canary in the coal
mine,” says Phil Sylvester, a spokesman
for World Nomads, a travel insurance
company. When travel insurance pro-
viders resume allowing the purchase of
policies, it means it’s safe to travel.
When will all of that happen?At
least three months, according to the
predictive models developed by the
travel risk assessment team of G1G.com,
an insurance technology company
based in San Jose, California.
Stan Sandberg, the co-founder of
travelInsurance.com, says insurance
purchases can also be a reliable bell-
wether.
“We are seeing travel insurance pur-
chases primarily for travel after August
1, and many travel insurance policies for
travel in 2021,” he says.But when is it safe for you to
travel?Travelers have their personal lists,
too. Lee Richardson had planned to
drive from Indianapolis to Tarpon
Springs, Florida, on Easter. Her kids for-
bade her.
“I believe it’s payback for all the times
I told them ‘no’,” says Richardson, a re-
tired educator who lives in Indianapolis.
So what would make her go? Permis-
sion from her kids and a good word from
Anthony Fauci, director of the National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Dis-
eases, she says.
A lot of travelers will have their own
litmus test for traveling again.
“I expect there will be a delay be-
tween the removal of regulatory restric-
tions and broad-based comfort with
travel,” says Chris Anderson, a professor
at Cornell University’s School of Hotel
Administration. He thinks most travel-
ers will be looking for reassurances that
the travel industry has its act together
when it comes to hygiene.
If none of that brings travelers back,
then one thing will: a good deal. Nothing
gets travelers back like a cheap fare or
hotel rate. It won’t make much of a dent
in the half-trillion-dollar loss. But travel
companies can always raise prices later.
And you know they will.These are not signs that it’s safe
to travel againReopening tourist attractions.
“That has more to do with economics
and profit anxiety rather than safety,”
says Courtney Kansler, a senior health
intelligence analyst at WorldAware, a
risk-management firm headquartered
in Annapolis, Maryland. While these
events may be greeted with fanfare, it
doesn’t mean there’s no risk of infec-
tion.
No more coronavirus cases. Even if
a particular destination country is re-
porting no additional cases, travelers
are still transiting through airports with
thousands of other people. You still
could get infected.
When politicians say so.Instead,
heed the words of health officials. “They
are the experts,” says Alison Hickey,
president of Kensington Tours. “When
they feel the time is right, they will lift
the restrictions on international travel.”Many signals will let you know
when it’s safe to travel again
On Travel
Christopher Elliott
USA TODAYHere’s a $570 billion question:
When is it safe to travel again?
When the experts say so, that’s
when. But figuring out who those ex-
perts are during the coronavirus crisis
may be as difficult as finding a vaccine.When is it safe to book a trip?Here are three things that must
happen before travelers return to the
sky, sea and hotels:
1 The State Department must lift
its Level 4 travel advisory.On March
19, the government issued a warning
to avoid all international travel be-
cause of the pandemic. It will have to
rescind the warning for travelers to
feel comfortable booking any kind of
trip again.
2 The Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention (CDC) has to
give the “all clear.”The CDC normal-
ly doesn’t issue advisories or restric-
tions for travel within the United
States. Once that advisory is lifted,
travelers can resume planning their
summer vacations.
3 The World Health Organization
needs to give a thumbs-up to travel.
The meaning of the WHO’s highly
technical warnings are clear: Stay
home. Monitor its website for a
change. When you see the WHO’s
easing up, it may be time to plan your
next trip.
If you’re a nervous traveler, look for
the Canadian and British governments
to chime in, too.
That half-trillion dollars I men-
tioned is the amount of tourism money
at risk in North America this year after
the coronavirus outbreak, according to
the World Travel & Tourism Council, a
trade organization. All told, nearly 7
million tourism jobs are on the line.
“The travel and tourism sector faces
an economic meltdown,” warned Glo-
ria Guevara Manza, WTTC’s president.Other signs that it’s safeSchools and businesses reopen.
When classes resume and you can sit
down in restaurants again, things are
returning to normal and it may be safeGETTY IMAGES