Despite CDC officials recommending unvaccinated Americans stay home, data from the Transportation Security Administration shows similar Labor Day travel numbers this year compared to two years ago.
During an Aug. 31 White House news briefing, Rochelle Walensky, MD, director of the CDC, said unvaccinated people should avoid travel for Labor Day.
"Throughout the pandemic, we have seen that the vast majority of transmission takes place among unvaccinated people in closed, indoor settings," Dr. Walensky said, adding that gatherings among vaccinated Americans should occur outdoors.
However, TSA checkpoints recorded 2.02 million travelers through U.S. airports Sept. 6, similar to the 2.29 million travelers on the same day two years ago.
Daily infections reported were also higher than last year, with 316 percent more new daily COVID-19 cases reported on Labor Day this year compared to 2020, according to Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins' data cited by USA Today. Daily virus deaths were almost twice as high, and hospitalizations were up 158 percent compared to the same time in 2020, USA Today reported.
According to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, total U.S. COVID-19 cases ever reported have surpassed 40 million, accounting for nearly a fifth of the known global total.