Connect with us

News

Despite Omicron Surge, Holiday Travel In Full Swing At Area Airports

Published

on

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — The Christmas travel rush is underway, despite concerns over the Omicron surge.

Experts predict travel will be back to pre-pandemic levels or greater.

READ MORE: 27-Year-Old Woman Dead, 2 Others Injured After Shooting Outside Queens Bar

Airlines say they are confident they will be able to take people to their destinations safely. But one popular airline is also urging health officials to change their quarantine restrictions for vaccinated people.

Air travelers are being told to budget some extra time for departures and anticipate longer waits at TSA checkpoints. Keep in mind, domestic travelers don’t need a COVID test in order to fly, but experts still urge people to do so.

Web Extra: Tri-State Guide To Traffic & Transit

Advertisement

Despite the surge in cases, fueled mostly by Omicron, AAA says more than 100 million Americans will travel over the 15-day holiday period.

“People cooped up for a year and a half. They need to get out to see family and friends,” AAA Northeast’s Senior Manager of Public Affairs Robert Sinclair told CBS2.

Locally, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey estimates 10 million vehicles will use its bridges and tunnels, similar to the pre-pandemic period in 2019.

Air Travel Links

READ MORE: New York Officials Stepping Up Efforts To Fix Delays In Getting COVID-19 Test Results

Many old and young are prepared.

“I’m wearing two masks, because even though I’m vaccinated, that doesn’t mean that I can’t get COVID,” one little girl said.

Travel expert Willis Orlando says many airlines are still recovering after furloughing hundreds and thousands of employees when the pandemic hit. He says despite there being a lot of worry about Omicron, travel numbers are not declining.

Advertisement

“We’ve seen two-plus million people pass through TSA checkpoints for five of the last six days,” he said. “So airlines need to be robustly staffed right now, and this is the best option they’ve come up with.”

Delta’s top medical advisor says a plane’s cabin is a low-risk environment. The airline sent a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, urging the agency to “reconsider the current guideline for 10 days of isolation in fully vaccinated” people who experience “breakthrough COVID-19 infections,” and make it a “5-day isolation from symptom onset.”

Health officials are analyzing the risks.

“We’re actively examining those data now and doing some modeling analyses to assess that,” said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.

MORE NEWS: On Record Day Of COVID-19 Infections In New Jersey, Officials And Residents Sound Alarm On Testing Problems

Most travelers who will be driving anticipate going at least 50 miles. The Port Authority says it will suspend nonemergency construction at vehicle crossings to accommodate traffic volume this holiday season.

Source: CBS

Advertisement

Follow us on Google News to get the latest Updates

Trending