HAMPTON ROADS, Va. - If you haven't gotten vaccinated against COVID-19, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is encouraging people not to travel this holiday weekend.
Mary Benjamin is visiting Virginia Beach and spent the day enjoying the beach.
She said she is vaccinated and will get a booster shot this October.
Benjamin hasn’t flown since the start of the pandemic and is leaving on Saturday.
The CDC recommended that people who have not gotten their shot not travel.
“I think it’s a risky business to travel without being vaccinated. You’re setting yourself up for getting sick,” said Benjamin.
With Labor Day right around the corner, families are planning on attending gatherings this holiday weekend, holding BBQs, hitting the beach and catching up with loved ones.
“First and foremost, if you were unvaccinated, we would recommend not traveling,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC. “We have actually articulated that people who are fully vaccinated and who are wearing masks can travel. Although given where we are with disease transmission right now, we would say that people need to take their own — these risks into their own consideration as they think about traveling.”
Withincreased COVID-19 cases and concerns over the Delta variant, News 3 spoke to State Health Commissioner Dr. M. Norman Oliver about the issue. He echoed the message from the CDC.
“One of the things we’ve seen every single holiday throughout the pandemic is a spike in the incidence of the disease. I think large gatherings around the holidays become an opportunity for more spread of the disease,” said Oliver.
