As fears for a second wave of COVID-19 grow, Mayor Bill de Blasio has a stark message for New Yorkers: Stay at home for the holidays this year.
“Big moment up ahead: holidays are coming… We really want to discourage people from traveling unless they really, really have to, because right now New York City is still doing a lot better than the rest of the country,” de Blasio said in his weekly “Mondays with the Mayor” interview with Inside City Hall anchor Errol Louis. “And we do fear more and more COVID coming in from outside.”
His plea is being backed up by the medical experts, who are advising against unnecessary travel. But if you are still thinking about making a trip, be sure to wear a mask – and don’t go if you, or the family members you’re going to see, are sick.
Going to risk it? Dr. Stephen Morse, an epidemiology professor at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, shared these tips with Gothamist:
- Driving is good for short trips, but you should open the windows to increase ventilation
- Flying is best for long trips, and “planes have enhanced their ventilation systems”
- Find an empty car if you travel by train. Preliminary data suggests the risks of transmission on the subway system are probably not as bad as originally feared
Will you be traveling for the holidays? Please comment below.