Record travel expected across the U.S. this Fourth of July weekend amid rising Covid cases

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — Airports around the United States are preparing for what could be the busiest Fourth of July travel season on record.

The nation’s roads are no different. Traffic could reach never-before-seen volumes over the Independence Day holiday.

AAA projects almost 71-million people around the U.S. are expected to travel 50 miles or more away from home. AAA also says nearly 4.5-million of those will be Floridians, whether by plane or car.

At Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), passengers have come in waves all throughout Thursday morning. CBS12 News crews there saw waves of a lot of people at once and then waves of not a lot of people at all.

Record Breaking Travel

All and all, that just shows things have been running smoothly through the TSA lines. But records have been continuing to be set since last week.

TSA says a record-breaking 2.99 million passengers went through U.S. airports in a single day last week. The agency says it’s expecting a new travel record this week.

Sunday and Monday are expected to be two of the busiest airport days, according to flight website “Hopper.”

Travelers at PBI Thursday, though, expect it to be an easy travel day.

“It’s going to run really smoothly,” said Patrick Kennedy, a Palm Beach County resident. “I expect it to be really easy.”

“Well, I know my flight is going to be packed, but I’m hoping I have a good flight to New York,” said Jessica Davis-Mullings, a St. Lucie County resident.

Hitting the Road

AAA projects a record 60.6-million people will travel by car over Independence Day week.

If you’re planning on hitting the roads Thursday, “Inrix,” a provider of transportation data and insights, says the worst times to travel by car are between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

So, lots of records are being set both this week and last whether by air or by land and there’s still the long weekend ahead.

But with the rise in travel, there’s also the rise in Covid cases nationwide that travelers should keep in mind as they’re in crowded places.

Covid Rising

Although individual cases are no longer being counted, the CDC says that infections are “growing or likely growing” in 44 states. Florida being one of them.

Infectious disease experts call this the ‘summer bump.’ We’ve seen it happen every year since 2020. But you can take precautions if you’re traveling Thursday or this weekend. To stop the virus’ spread, experts recommend:

• Wearing a mask or staying home if you don’t feel well,
• Always washing your hands after using the restroom,
• Covering your mouth if you sneeze or cough.

They pointed out that after years of exposure, our bodies are more prepared to fight the virus.