Should people be traveling while coronavorus is spreading?

It would have been better if this had been an advice post based on the "No" option

I don't think people's opinions on a Travel Forum have any real or significant value.

The irony

You're using this topic for forum entertainment.?

I can't speak for ibobi, but I don't see the poll as having much value other than trying to keep people coming to Fodor's while they are cancelling or postponing trips or deferring travel planning. If that's simple entertainment, so be it! JMO.

Define "essential travel". I can't answer without knowing the definition. Since I am doubly high risk, I am certainly not intending to travel, and offhand I can't think of a reason I would consider "essential". (Perhaps to visit somewhere safer than the US?)

I don't disagree, but would note that none of the current Fodor's polls are consistent with even the most basic established requirements of responsible poll construction. Terms aren't defined, the possible answers don't cover the range of options, etc. And the very concept of a poll on these issues flies in the face of the idea of presenting "just the facts" -- they instead promote the sharing of misinformation and undocumented opinion. But if ibobi or others want to keep the forum alive and are hoping to do so by posting meaningless polls, hey, beyond my control! And I would hate to see Covid-19 kill a forum that I have found extremely useful over the years.

they instead promote the sharing of misinformation and undocumented opinion

Precisely my problem with all this. Well said.

If you want this to be useful they could look around and link some of the factual websites giving accurate information like CDC, et al.

I’m curious what people think. If I weren’t I simply wouldn’t open the thread.

Most of the people I know who had travel plans lost them not due to being “allowed” to travel, but rather cancellation due to restrictions. Hotel closure, event cancellation, venues shut down....I mean, nothing is stopping me from flying to DC, except the Smithsonian is shut down indefinitely. Same with Disney. Same with SF museums. I have no more reason to go there than I do to Vancouver—which I can’t actually visit, as the border is closed to nonessential travel. So I think the poll is pointless.

however...Essential travel could be anything. I agree with Thursday. I don’t see anything as essential, because I’m not getting on a plane. Full stop. But if one of my siblings needed an emergency babysitter, or cases spiked here to the extent of overloading the system, or I ran out of resources and took my parents up on their offer to visit them so they could feed me...that could become “essential travel”. None of those things are likely to happen but I think everyone has to be able to decide for themselves based on their own comfort levels and life situation.

Well, we are taking rides for sheer mental health. The highways/streets are rather empty, and on a nice day we take long walks, some of which are at venues we must drive to. We also take rides to visit with our daughter and family, and she's about 35 miles from here.