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Three months ago, Jackie Henderson of Oregon finally made the country COVID-19 Number of cases To book a trip with her husband and three children to a family reunion in Pennsylvania.
Their trip, scheduled for later this month, was subsequently cancelled.Henderson said her family I didn’t feel safe to travel with my kids, Everyone is too young to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
“I thought flying for six hours was like being on a Petri dish, and then I’m going to reunite a family of about 80 people, most of whom are over 65,” Henderson said. Says. I didn’t really feel it was responsible for us. “
Henderson is joining the growing number of travelers rethinking their plans amid a surge in COVID cases.about One-third of American travelers According to a survey of marketing firms Longwoods International and Miles Partnership, a survey of 1,000 adults on August 4 showed that travel was postponed due to delta variants compared to a quarter of travelers two weeks ago. rice field.
Triemerson Burns, Executive Vice President of Public Relations and Policy for the American Travel Association’s trade association, said: “I think we’re still very optimistic and strongly want people to be there … but we need to get back to a more consistent state.”
Hotels and airlines that noticed more cancellations
According to a survey of more than 1,200 American travelers from research firms, travel optimism has plummeted since early June, reaching a year-to-date low of 20.4% as of August 6. Destination analyst..
According to the company’s latest report, more than half of US respondents expect travel in the US to worsen next month, with 23% canceling their travel plans due to delta variants.
The change in attitude occurs because the number of cases of COVID-19 has increased rapidly nationwide, and as of the end of July, highly contagious delta mutations account for more than 80% of all cases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Airlines and hotels are beginning to feel the impact.
On Thursday, hotel research firm STR relaxed its 2022 growth forecast due to a lack of business trips to replace leisure travel as the end of summer approaches.
In a news release, STR President Amanda Height said, “Companies will wait until early 2022 to get their employees back on the road as concerns about Delta variants grow and companies are delaying returning their employees to the office. There is a possibility. “
Marriott International spokeswoman Julie Lorend told USA TODAY that there were cancellations of group bookings later this year that could be related to the epidemic of the delta variant, but the cancellations were “significantly” compared to the early days of the pandemic. It was late. “
Southwest Airlines’ third-quarter earnings outlook fell after the company noticed an increase in travel cancellations in August. Submitted to US Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday.. The company has fixed it to an increase in COVID-19 cases.
Booking Holdings Inc. Glenn Fogel, president and CEO of the company, told USA TODAY that reservations in July showed a “gradual setback” compared to June, but reservations are still increasing from the second quarter. Stated.
“When infections are increasing due to deltas, you will see cancellations in those particular areas (in more COVID-19 cases),” Vogel said. “But that doesn’t change at all in the long run. In the long run, the pandemic is all over. They do. This is also over.”
Southwest Airlines and AAA recently noted that Labor Day travel remains strong despite an increase in COVID-19 cases, and other travel executives, including United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby. Reflects Vogel’s long-term optimism.
“Sure, there are some ups and downs in the medium to long term, but I think air travel will continue to recover,” Kirby told NBC Nightly News earlier this week. “The silvery backing of what happened with the Delta variant is that it promotes much higher vaccination rates across the country, and after all, it’s the only thing that really saves us from this crisis. . “
A little over half It is fully vaccinated among all people in the United States.
► Tracking COVID-19 vaccine distribution: How many people are vaccinated in the United States?
Traveler’s reaction to the COVID delta variant
Many Americans carry out their plans, but the way they travel has changed.
Kyle Baker, 26, in Kansas City, Kansas, has been to Las Vegas four times and Florida once since she was fully vaccinated, especially on a cruise, with more cases of COVID-19. It makes a difference. When considering a cruise trip in December 2019, Baker said he was monitoring the outbreak of COVID-19. Diamond princess cruise ship What was unfolded in February 2020 was “terrifying.”
“It upsets my anxiety,” he said. “Even in the early days of COVID, I had the idea that I wasn’t going on a cruise and I wasn’t going to leave the country … I’m just afraid I can’t go back easily.”
► Cruise ship COVID-19: Six incidents occurred on my Royal Caribbean Cruises.This is why I wasn’t in a hurry
Others like 74-year-old Doris Wright feel completely safe on the cruise thanks to them Enhanced safety protocol.. Wright will be on a 21-day cruise in October.
“I’m confident in the new protocol that Cruiseline has set up to combat this variant,” she wrote to USA Today. “I’m a world traveler and I went (nuts) without traveling.”
Nicholas Sanford, Charlotte, North Carolina, plans to travel to Greece with his partner later this month, despite the hassle. Fill out additional COVID related forms Enter COVID to test Before returning..
He added that the two were vaccinated and were “normal mask wearers.” A groundbreaking case of COVID-19..
According to the CDC, the COVID-19 vaccine is very effective, but a small number of fully vaccinated people get COVID-19 even when exposed to the virus that causes it. Vaccinated people with breakthrough infections are much less likely to get seriously ill or die.
“When we bought the ticket, we were both vaccinated, so I was convinced that this was okay …. Using the Delta variant makes travel more anxious,” Sun said. Ford said. “Our tickets are non-refundable, so at this point we’re going and we’re just crossing our fingers.”
► Cruise safety: Six COVID-19 cases occurred on my Royal Caribbean Cruises.This is why I wasn’t in a hurry
Is it safe to travel during a delta surge?
Amber Schmidke of Kansas City, an associate professor of biology at St. Mary’s University and a former CDC employee, postponed a family trip to Hawaii two weeks ago.
The vacation is booked in March, Schmidke Pediatric vaccination Approved at this point. Without it, she said it would be uncomfortable to travel with unvaccinated children.
Children over the age of 12 in the United States can be vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, but clinical trials for vaccination of younger children are still underway.
“I felt that the risk (traveling with an unvaccinated child) was much worse than it was a year ago,” Schmidtke said. “The idea of a high-risk environment, potentially at an airport terminal … it was like a bridge too far away.”
► Travel Warning: CDC, State Department Downgrades Canada Travel Alerts
According to health experts, travel risk can vary based on many factors, including vaccination status and destination infection rates.
and Interview with USA TODAY Editorial Board Last week, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergic Infectious Diseases, told travelers. Must follow CDC guidance Limit to the trips you need.
The CDC recommends that all travelers, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks and self-monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms. If traveling abroad, fully vaccinated travelers should also be tested 3-5 days after travel. Unvaccinated people traveling domestically and internationally are advised to be tested 1-3 days before and 3-5 days after travel and self-quarantined 7 days after returning home.
Contributed by: Jennifer Portman, USA Today. Follow USA TODAY reporter Bailey Schulz on Twitter. @bailey_schulz..
This article was originally published in USA TODAY: COVID trips surged with Delta Variant and trips canceled
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