Utah couple's dream vacation turns into nightmare

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A ten-day dream vacation turned into a travel nightmare for a Utah man and his spouse, all because of COVID-19 restrictions that are still in effect more than two years after the pandemic began.

Matt Jacobson, who works at KUTV 2News as a digital producer, booked a trip to Egypt and Dubai with an itinerary that sounded ideal.

At least, in theory.

“I couldn’t get to the airport fast enough. I was ready to be out of there,” Jacobson said, reflecting on the end of his longer-than-expected vacation.

He added, laughing, “Great city, though!”

The trip took Jacobson and his spouse to visit Cairo, the Nile, and other sights. Everything was going well until the final day when they were in Dubai.

“Somewhere along the way, I guess we got COVID,” Jacobson said, “and they wouldn’t let us leave.”

That's because, to return to the U.S. from abroad, you have to test negative within a day of your flight home. If you test positive, you have to quarantine before traveling back.

“We’re one of the last countries to still require that testing,” said Tara Moncur, a travel advisor in Draper.

The U.S. State Department lays out these rules online, warning travelers they “may face unexpected challenges related to COVID-19,” and to “be sure tomake contingency plans, as you may find yourself having to remain in a foreign country longer than originally planned.”

Moncur said there are a lot of restrictions for travel, so it pays to stay on top of them and check regularly to see if anything has changed.

“It’s really not a big deal if you know what you’re doing,” she said.

Unfortunately, Jacobson’s experience turned into a big deal. After testing positive, he and his spouse were quarantined in their hotel room, not allowed to leave for the next seven days. They watched television, ordered room service, and racked up a lot of new bills.

When they tested positive again, that meant three more days in quarantine – ten in total – before they could leave. It was expensive.

“I think it was like $7,000 or $8,000 extra than we had thought we were going to spend,” Jacobson said, “all in all.”

Jacobson admits he wishes he'd done more research before his trip. He had travel insurance, but with questions about what's covered and when, he's fighting for reimbursement.

“I’m trying to work as many hours as I can at work, as many days as I can, because we’ve got a lot of bills to pay,” he said.

So, what's the lesson here? Know before you go. And, Jacobson said, don't take these travel regulations lightly. After all, he'll be feeling their effects for a long time.

“I guess I’m laughing about it now,” he said. “That’s just to cover my pain.”