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CDC pleads with Americans to 'please limit travel'

March 29, 2021
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3 min read
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CDC pleads with Americans to 'please limit travel'
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There was a stark warning from the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday, March 29 for Americans to "please limit travel" as COVID-19 cases begin to rise again.

CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said travel is helping to spread the coronavirus. During a White House coronavirus briefing, she said, "I would just sort of reiterate the recommendations from [the] CDC, saying please limit travel to essential travel for the time being."

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Walensky warning of what she called "impending doom" this morning. "Right now I'm scared," she said.

Walensky said:



"We must act now, and I am worried that if we don't take the right actions now, we will have another avoidable surge -- just as we are seeing in Europe right now and just as we are so aggressively scaling up vaccination."

It comes as President Joe Biden is asking state officials to reinstate mask mandates to deal with the pandemic. The president said because of what he called reckless behavior, the virus was spreading again.

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“People are letting up on precautions, which is a very bad thing,” he said. “We are giving up hard-fought, hard-won gains.”



".. this is not a time to lessen our efforts.. We could still see a setback in the vaccination program. And most importantly, if we let our guard down now we could see a virus getting worse, not better.”

The warnings come as the numbers of new coronavirus cases are rising again. According to the New York Times COVID-19 dashboard, the number of new cases has risen 15% in the past two weeks.

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Related: 3 things to know about your vaccination card

The rise in cases come amidst a surge in travel. The TSA has screened more than a million people every day since March 11. To give you an idea of how that compares to last year when travel ground to a halt, the agency on March 28, 2020 screened just 180,002 people.

(Screenshot courtesy TSA)

The CDC is still recommending people not travel, even those who have been fully vaccinated. Interestingly, the New York Times reported today that a new CDC analysis of how the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are working in the real world show they are highly effective at preventing transmission of COVID-19.

Related: Your guide to digital passports

Still, the CDC is urgently warning against anyone letting down their guard. Today, Dr. Walensky said, “I know you all so badly want to be done. We are just almost there, but not quite yet."

Featured image by AFP via Getty Images
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
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