ATLANTA, Ga. — The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says Americans who aren’t vaccinated against COVID-19 shouldn’t travel over the upcoming Labor Day weekend.
When asked about Labor Day travel during a COVID-19 response team briefing, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said, “First and foremost, if you are unvaccinated, we would recommend not traveling.”
As for those who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, Walensky said those people need to take their own risks into consideration when going anywhere.
"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 first and foremost,” said Walensky.
As of this week, the CDC reports that 203 million people in the U.S. have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and a little more than half of the population is fully vaccinated.
Studies show the COVID-19 vaccine continues to be highly effective at reducing the risk of severe illness from the coronavirus, as well as hospitalization and death.
COVID-19 cases are continuing to rise in parts of the U.S. likely as a result of the delta variant.
Walensky said Tuesday that the nation’s seven-day average of cases was about 129,000 cases per day, the seven-day average of hospital admissions was about 11,500 cases per day, and the seven-day average of daily deaths had increased to 896 per day.