AAA says it’s due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Towson, Md (KM) More than 84.5-million Americans are expected to travel this year during the Christmas and New Year’s Holiday period. That’s according to AAA which says this is 29% drop compared to last year. “And here in Maryland, we’re anticipating that we could have as many as 1.76-million travelers, and that’s a decline of nearly 30%,” says Ragina Ali, Public and Governmental Affairs Manager for AAA Mid-Atlantic.
She says the reason for this drop in travel is the COVID-19 pandemic; “We’ve obviously heard the CDC {Centers for Disease Control and Prevention} continuing to urge Americans not to travel for the Holidays this year,” says Ali. “Last week, our Governor announced new testing and quarantine requirements and urging Marylanders to stay home for the Holidays this year.”
Last week, Governor Larry Hogan said residents who travel outside the state, or come into Maryland, must produce a negative COVID-19 test, or quarantine for 14 days.
If you travel for the Holidays, Ali say check and see if there are coronavirus restrictions in place at your destination. You can find out that information at the AAA’s COVID Restrictions Map.
“The CDC recommends taking a COVID-19 test one to three days before travel, and another three to five days after travel,” she says.
When you get to your destination, AAA says do what you do to protect yourself in your home town. “The use of a face mask combined with social distancing. If you are traveling, regular handwashing is obviously a better way to lower your risk of contracting COVID-19,”: says Ali
By Kevin McManus