Mission’s Mike Hayes recently returned from a vacation in Japan and said the fear of the coronavirus is not as prevalent as he thought it might be.
However, that doesn’t mean it didn’t impact his experience.
Hayes had booked his vacation months ago and, despite the growing concerns - Japan has 1,198 cases of the virus with 17 deaths - decided not to postpone.
“I definitely had a little bit of concern, mostly about the flight there and the flight home because I’d be in a confined space for 10 hours in either direction,” he said.
He wasn’t as concerned about being out with the general public, noting he didn’t plan to be in closed spaces with any large crowds.
His flight left Vancouver Airport on Feb. 24 but before he was allowed to board the plane, there was a screening process
“The airline was screening people who had visited regions where there were known outbreaks, so China or specifically Wuhan. Anybody like that they made sure were checked before boarding.”
Once he landed in Japan, Hayes said the airport “wasn’t swabbing people or screening people or anything, but at the same time the Japanese people in general were all wearing face masks, but that’s something they do anyway in order to prevent them from getting other people sick.”
While the screening wasn’t as intense as expected, the Japanese government was taking other precautions.
“While I was there, Japan closed public schools, they closed Tokyo Disney… anywhere there would be a large gathering of people on mass, Japan shut it down.”
They even closed the museum that Hayes had pre-bought tickets for. He said there was a feeling of caution.
“While I was walking around, it was not that busy. Tourism was definitely down, but I’d say the Japanese government was definitely more concerned than the Japanese populous.”
Despite the closures, he didn’t let it bother him.
“It’s still the trip of a lifetime. Japan is such a beautiful country. It’s got so much cool stuff going on. Yes I missed out on some things, but it just means I’m going to go back.
Hayes received a little extra time off as well. While in Japan, his employer contacted him and told him to take some sick days.
“They said when I return it would be best for optics if I took an extra couple of sick days. I work with large groups of people,” explained Hayes, adding they felt a few extra days off would ensure he wasn’t sick after his trip and put others at ease.