CLEVELAND – Your level of caution will vary depending on your health, your family’s health, where you’re going, and what you have planned.
It is safe for most people to plan a getaway this spring, but you need to make sure you’re comfortable with the amount of risk involved, depending on your individual circumstances.
Americans are ready to pack their bags and hit the road, and experts are on board with the idea.
Dr. Joseph Khabbaza, a Critical Care Specialist at the Cleveland Clinic, says it’s safer to travel now than it was last year.
“The number of people vaccinated is much higher now than it was in March of 2021,” said Khabbaza. “That recent wave of the delta surge, the omicron surge, lots of people have gotten extra immunity through the infection route, so everything becomes safer that you do.”
If you have health concerns or children too young to be vaccinated, then you’ll still want to bring those masks along for crowded places. You can also check the risk level of your destination on the CDC website.
If you don’t feel comfortable being around many strangers, consider camping, renting a cabin, or visiting a less popular destination.
When you arrive home, use extra caution around higher-risk family and friends.
“If you do have a loved one who is on chemotherapy or is elderly or immunocompromised, maybe lay low from them for that week or two after your trip or if you are going to be around them to just test do a rapid test that morning, just as an extra layer of precaution to minimize the odds that something you picked up from spring break might be transmitted to them,” Khabbaza said.
If you’re flying, it’s essential to know that the mask mandates on planes and public transit are set to expire on March 18. It’s not yet clear if the government will extend it.