SAN DIEGO — San Diego is seeing a spike in air travel as the coronavirus pandemic hits new highs for cases and hospitalization.
“It’s ridiculous, honestly,” said Sage Briggs of Oceanside returning from Memphis, TN. He traveled to see his mother who he hadn’t seen in six years.
Many returning to San Diego from the holidays say that it’s chaotic.
“It is a little surprising that people are traveling, but it’s holiday season and it’s peak travel time,” said Sabrina Lopiccolo, spokesperson for San Diego International Airport.
Lopiccolo reported that travel numbers are high for the week of New Years, despite the increase in COVID-19 cases across the country and San Diego County.
“From Monday through Saturday, our numbers are in. We've seen close to 94,000 people traveling both to and from [San Diego] and that is more that we saw over the Christmas week,” said Lopiccolo.
Air travelers are vulnerable to the coronavirus, viruses and infections in general, but it doesn't seem to be stopping people from traveling.
Lopiccolo says there’s always a risk when traveling and travelers are expected to follow safety guidelines. “People are expected to wear masks throughout the terminals or on the sidewalks and follow airport guidelines."
Lily Lutz of San Diego took a trip to Denver with college friends. “We were taking all the precautions we could,” Lutz said. "We are just trying to continue to live on."
Airport officials say that people get excited this time of year, from deals to taking vacation time but they still need to take all precautions when they arrive at the airport.
Lopiccolo added that upon arrival, it’s important to check with your county’s website for updates on the county public health order.
