Christopher Ridgeway of Stone Clinical Labs: Be Smart When Out

Now that the weather is improving, there is a great desire to get out, more so than in recent years.

Places like Cabo, Miami Beach, Panama Beach, Daytona, and obviously New Orleans will be swimming with new people who are looking to let their hard down.

The TSA has been gearing up for increased travel and that's fine but what happens when they've landed in their destination and are reliant on the monitoring of local officials.

This is a double-edged sword for these local economies and small business are screaming out for tourists and the energy they bring after the last year they've had. But on the other hand, you want to do everything you can to avoid any sort of outbreak.

If you are going to be cautious and keep it close to home, you can have the best of both worlds - keeping a tight rein on your health while having a fun time.

• Celebrate Accordingly: You may not want to have a spring break that you're accustomed to if it means you have to wear a facemask everywhere but doing so is better than spending time in quarantine. Similarly, it's best to avoid large crowds of people where the chances of being exposed to the virus are significantly higher. If you have made it this far and avoiding a positive test, you want to keep that going.
• Take a Needle: The vaccine is becoming more and more accessible as its rollout continues. Check the CDC website for more information about it and when and where you can get vaccinated.
• Get tested: There have been too many instances of people not getting tested, going away, being positive and infecting a lot of people. It's one thing to be positive but you cause a chain reaction if you are the reason for many other people catching the virus. There is no reason to throw caution to the wind at this stage. The worst thing that happens is that you're told you're negative
• Postpone: You may have earmarked this time for a special spring break getaway but there is no reason you can't postpone it and really celebrate it in a few years when this is nothing but a distant memory. We've all missed a lot of occasions and get-togethers over the last year, but when this is well and truly behind us, we will have more than one thing to celebrate!
• Staying Active: Till then, it's important to stay active on both the physical and mental fronts. If you are feeling down or lonely, find a friend to talk to or spend time together is a safe way.

Christopher Ridgeway is the founder and CEO of Stone Clinical Laboratories.