Over the last two weeks the Centers for Disease Control have come out publicly making statements urging Americans NOT to travel this Thanksgiving over their prediction and concern that their will be more COVID spikes at these transportation hubs across the country due to a lack of social distancing and gathering among large crowds. During last week's CDC news briefing, Dr. Henry Walke, the CDC’s COVID-19 incident manager, said the agency is "recommending against travel during the Thanksgiving period." He went on to say: "The tragedy that could happen is that one of your family members is coming to this family gathering and they could end up severely ill, hospitalized or dying. And we don’t want that to happen...These times are tough, it’s been a long outbreak, almost 11 months, and we understand people are tired.” He continued: "We understand that people want to see their family and relatives and do it as they’ve always done it. But this year we’re asking them to limit their travel.”
Despite these warnings from the CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, millions of people have traveled this past weekend as they head to their Thanksgiving holiday destinations. According to the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the specifics on this past weekend's travels are as follows:
Date: --- Amount of Travelers:
- 11/20/2020 --- 1,019,836
- 11/21/2020 --- 984,369
- 11/22/2020 --- 1,047,934
Also according to the TSA, the numbers are down from a year prior, which were this back in 2019:
Date: --- Amount of Travelers:
- 11/20/2019 --- 2,550,459
- 11/21/2019 --- 2,194,291
- 11/22/2019 --- 2,321,546
So, numbers are down but is it enough? Are you concerned? The TSA says that this past Sunday was their busiest day at single airport checkpoints since the pandemic began back in March. Are you traveling via airplane, bus, or train this Thanksgiving? I personally know two members of my family who traveled here via airplane from another state and I'll be honest, I was nervous for them. Now, they are not staying in my household, they have their own house here and if I see them, I will not have direct physical contact with them and I will social distance because I am a bit nervous. You honestly never know. I empathetically understand where people are coming from with wanting to see their families but I don't think I would have traveled if I were in their position. I personally don't want to risk it traveling and I would follow the CDC's guidelines in this case. While that would be my personal choice to not travel, I respect that I think it is a personal choice. You cannot force people NOT to travel and the CDC of course said said they would not or could not enforce it but strongly urged against it. People have to make the decision as to what they think is best for them and I get it's a tough choice but I would lean towards the option that guarantees more protection for my own personal health, and that's not to travel; I think it's too risky. With that being said though, I do believe the airline and travel industry is making things as safe as they possibility can for others with disinfecting and requests for social distancing in the lines and on the air crafts so I can see how travelers would feel comfortable and safe taking that risk to travel BUT you also have to think about what you're touching and who is touching your things. Even workers grabbing your bags for you despite wearing a mask or gloves because you don't know how many other individuals' bags they touched then touched yours despite the gloves (in that case the gloves are protecting the worker not your luggage. Then the surfaces they are putting the bag on could be contaminated and you could go on to touch that luggage later on that could have picked up something from the surface space if another contaminated object was laid on the space before yours. You would need to diligently wipe down EVERYTHING and at all times assume yourself or your belongings could have germs and or COVID-19 on it from anyone because even though you are being smart, you don't know how lax others could be despite the restrictions. Maybe I sound like I'm over the top but I'd rather be safe than sorry. I understand some people out there think COVID-19 is an overreaction and not as bad as the media makes it out to be but I'll tell you, I don't want to find out. That's the last thing I want is to battle COVID-19 because I decided I couldn't spend Thanksgiving by myself with my own household. That may sound harsh but everyone is entitled their own personal beliefs about how they want to take precautions or lack there of regarding their own health. Bottom line, I think the more people traveling in the airports, the more risk there is of getting COVID-19 despite the restrictions in place. You don't know who is coming into that airport who has COVID-19 and is traveling around you. What is the risk reward? That's what you need to ask yourself and for me, I would say no way Jose to traveling this Thanksgiving, what say you?
-Producer Lightning