CDC's Thanksgiving Travel Advice Is Pretty Simple

The CDC's new advice for Thanksgiving travelers can be summed up in two words: Stay home. The federal health agency "is recommending against travel during the Thanksgiving period," CDC coronavirus official Dr. Henry Walke said Thursday, per CNBC. He said the agency is alarmed by the "exponential increase" in COVID cases of late and fears that busy transportation hubs would be particularly dangerous. USA Today notes that LAX airport in Los Angeles took the unusual step of tweeting similar advice: "If you do not have to travel for the holidays, don't."

Walke acknowledged that "it's been a long outbreak" and that people want to see loved ones over the holiday, but he said that up to 40% of COVID's spread comes from asymptomatic people. "From an individual household level, what’s at stake is basically increased chance of one of your loved ones becoming sick and then hospitalized and dying," he said. The CDC has a list of questions prospective travelers should assess to gauge their own risk, as well as safety advice for those who do decide to travel. (More Thanksgiving stories.)