CDC Warns Against Traveling For Thanksgiving

BURBANK, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 27: Airline employees are seen entering a gate at Hollywood Burbank Airport on October 27, 2020 in Burbank, California. Although virus dissemination on flights is low when people are able to be socially distant, the extremely hard hit airline industry is having to consolidate flights, furthering complicating the dilemma. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is out with new guidelines, meant to steer people away from traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday. The agency is advising that, if possible, people should postpone travel they had planned next week. This includes all travel, not just by plane.

Travel may increase your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others this year.

The CDC is also encouraging people to limit their Thanksgiving celebrations to those who live under the same roof pointing out, “Celebrating virtually or with the people you live with is the safest choice this Thanksgiving.”

This information was announced during a rare CDC briefing.

In LIVE @CDCgov presser Dr. Henry Walke: "We're alarmed w/the exponential increase in cases, rising hospitalizations & deaths," so urging Americans to NOT have large gatherings or travel for #Thanksgiving .#COVID19
Lots of Qs about why saying this so late — 1 week frm holiday?
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) November 19, 2020

CNBC writes:

The CDC’s briefing Thursday is the agency’s first since August. Critics have called on the CDC and Director Dr. Robert Redfield to take a more high-profile position in the nation’s response to the pandemic as cases, hospitalizations and deaths all continue to rise.
The comments come after the nation reported more than 170,100 new cases of the virus on Wednesday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. That’s the second-highest one-day spike reported to date.

Earlier this month, AAA said they “would have expected up to 50 million Americans to travel for Thanksgiving – a drop from 55 million in 2019.” However, they added that with “rising COVID-19 positive case numbers, renewed quarantine restrictions and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) travel health notices, AAA expects the actual number of holiday travelers will be even lower.”