air travel

New England Airports See Second Busiest Weekend of 2021

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As airports across the country see more than one million travelers daily now, airports in New England are also seeing rising travel numbers.

New England's six major airports saw their second busiest weekend of the year this past weekend based on the number of passengers screened, according to a Transportation Security Administration spokesperson.

Those six airports are: Bradley Airport, Burlington International Airport, Boston Logan International Airport, Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, and T.F. Green Airport.

Nationally, airports have seen 25 straight days of more than one million passengers screened. On Friday, the country saw a pandemic-era record 1,580,785 passengers screened, the TSA reported.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance Friday to say fully vaccinated people can travel within the U.S. without getting tested for the coronavirus or going into quarantine afterward.

Still, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky urged caution and said she would “advocate against general travel overall" given the rising number of infections.

“If you are vaccinated, it is lower risk,” she said.

According to the CDC, nearly 100 million people in the U.S. — or about 30% of the population — have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the last required dose.

The agency had said it would update its guidance as more people got vaccinated and evidence mounted about the protection the shots provide.

The CDC is sticking to its guidance for unvaccinated people to avoid unnecessary travel. If they do travel, the agency says to get tested one to three days before the trip, and three to five days after. People should also stay home and quarantine for seven days after travel, even if their COVID-19 test is negative, the agency says.

The new guidance says:

— Fully vaccinated people can travel within the U.S., without getting tested for the coronavirus or quarantining. People should still wear a mask, socially distance and avoid crowds, the agency says.

— For international travel, the agency says vaccinated people do not need to get a COVID-19 test before leaving, though some destinations may require it.

— Vaccinated people should still get a negative COVID-19 test before boarding a flight to the U.S., and be tested 3 to 5 days after returning. They do not need to quarantine. The agency noted the potential introduction of virus variants and differences in vaccine coverage around the world for the cautious guidance on overseas travel.

Airlines do not require COVID-19 tests or proof of vaccination for travel in the U.S.

The CDC cited recent research on the real-world effects of the vaccines for its updated guidance. Last month, the agency said fully vaccinated people could visit with each other indoors without wearing masks or social distancing. It also said vaccinated people could visit with unvaccinated people from a single household under similar conditions, as long as the unvaccinated individuals were at low risk for severe illness if infected.

The U.S. began its vaccine rollout in mid-December. Vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna require two doses given a few weeks apart. A one-shot vaccine by Johnson & Johnson was given the green light by regulators at the end of February.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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