SAN DIEGO — Memorial Day is just a few days away and many people are getting ready to travel to different destinations to celebrate.
AAA says that more than 37 million people plan to travel for Memorial Day this year. They break it down saying more than 34 million will travel by car with nearly three million getting on an airplane and flying to their destination. Those numbers are nearly a 60 percent increase over travel during 2020. However, the number is still down six million from the pre-pandemic travel of 2019.
In Southern California travel is expected to go up 64 percent with the majority of travelers heading to their destinations in their cars.
The CDC recently updated their guidance for fully vaccinated Americans which is playing a part in travel returning. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director of the CDC said, “All of this is possible because vaccinations are going up, and cases and risk of community transmission across the country are going down. Here are the important points to remember going into Memorial Day weekend. If you are vaccinated, you are protected. And you can enjoy your Memorial Day. If you are not vaccinated, our guidance has not changed for you. You remain at risk of infection. You still need to mask and take other precautions.”
On Thursday at the San Diego International Airport, there will be a vaccine drive held for airport employees as well as their families. However, the airport says travelers are not eligible to receive their vaccine at the event.
Watch: Spring Break travel jumps as CDC issues less restrictive COVID-19 guidelines