SAN ANTONIO — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has some new recommendations for people who decided to travel during the Christmas holiday, during the pandemic.
A pandemic-era record amount of Americans took to the skies over the Christmas season, despite pleas from public health officials to stay home. The TSA says it screened more than 5 million people between Friday and Tuesday.
As those people return home, health officials are now asking them to be responsible and know their status.
“We’re still very concerned. Hospitalizations for COVID continue to escalate,” said Robert Leverence, chief medical officer at UT Health San Antonio.
Before the holiday break, Leverence said he was concerned with high hospital numbers in Bexar County—alarming trends which, as of this week, have slashed the max operating capacity for local restaurants, shops, gyms and other businesses.
“We’re still worried that by early January, particularly after New Year’s when people gather once again, that we’ll see another surge," Leverence said. "And at that point we may have to consider a field hospital."
The doctor says the CDC recommends that those who traveled to be proactive and get tested three to five days after returning.
As of Monday night, 1,079 coronavirus patients were being treated for their symptoms at local hospitals. For seven straight days, coronavirus-related hospitalizations have accounted for more than 15% of all patients at Bexar County facilities.
“Traveling isn’t an all-or-none thing, meaning if you make the decision to travel, it’s not like, 'OK, it’s an unsafe situation,'" Leverence said. "No, we can still travel and do it safely, including when we return back home."
Leverence says people waiting to get results back should limit their leaving the house to essential activities only, even if they're not showing symptoms.
“This virus completely depends on our behaviors. This surge is not completely up to fate; it does matter how we behave."