OHIO — Despite the pandemic, millions of Americans are still planning to travel this holiday season.
But there are also millions of Americans who are changing their plans, including Ohioans.
AAA estimates more than 1.43 million Ohioans will travel this year, but that's down nearly 30% from last year.
“While Thanksgiving tends to be a long weekend spent with family or friends, the year-end holiday is typically a time for longer getaways and vacations – but not this year,” said Jenifer Moore, AAA spokesperson. “And COVID-19 is definitely the difference.”
Moore said many people are waiting to see how the COVID-19 cases trend as the end of the year gets closer. It's possible that many people will cancel their plans in the coming week, which was the trend leading up to Thanksgiving weekend, Moore said.
As travel is expected to decrease, gas prices are rising slightly. Gas per gallon is averaging out to be $2.076 this week, whereas last week, it was $1.961, according to AAA.
But it's still lower than this time last year. During the week of Dec. 23, 2019, gas was $2.481 per gallon.
The decline in Ohioans traveling this year follows a trend nationwide. Across the U.S., AAA estimates 34 million people won't travel, which is a nearly 29% decrease from last year. But more than 84 million Americans are expected to travel starting Wednesday and into the new year.
This past weekend, pre-Christmas air travel broke the record for most passengers traveling in a weekend during the pandemic, according to the TSA. Around 1 million passengers boarded planes each day for three days straight, totaling 3.2 million. It also outpaced the number of passengers who traveled over the Thanksgiving holiday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging residents to stay home this year and only celebrate with people they live with. The estimates come as the U.S. surpassed 18 million active COVID-19 cases Monday — a new grim milestone. The virus has killed 319,000 lives in the U.S. and 1.7 million nationwide.
In Ohio, daily COVID-19 cases fell to the lowest number it's been since Nov. 10. The state reported 6,548 new cases Monday and 75 deaths. The three-week average is 9,919 cases.
But in other areas around the U.S., states are seeing record-high cases and hospitalizations. Because of this, AAA gave these tips for travelers:
- Plan ahead as there might be restrictions or travel advisories
- Take a COVID-19 test one to three days before you travel and another three to five days after your trip
- Follow COVID-19 safety precautions — wear masks, social distance and wash hands often
- Verify your trip plans by calling ahead to avoid any last-minute problems or cancellations
- If you're staying a hotel, call and ask what precautions they've been taking and how they're protecting guests