- Americans are gathering for a major holiday without masks or physical distancing — safely.
- But the majority of Americans still aren’t fully vaccinated, leading to the possibility of yet another post-holiday spike of coronavirus infections.
According to an article published in CNN, For the first time in over a year, millions of Americans are gathering for a major holiday without masks or physical distancing — safely.
Medicine & Surgery Professor’s Advice
“To people who are traveling and people who have been fully vaccinated, have a great time,” said Dr. Jonathan Reiner, professor of medicine and surgery at George Washington University.
“But for folks who have not been vaccinated, you can still get this virus and you can still die. We still have about 500 deaths per day.”
Serious Illness to Young People
While most deaths have been among the elderly and those with preexisting conditions, Covid-19 has killed more children than the flu has this past year, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Other young, unvaccinated people are suffering from long Covid or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) — a rare but potentially serious condition that can happen in children weeks after a coronavirus infection.
Normalcy Adjustment Challenges
So while fully vaccinated Americans relish holiday barbeques and close gatherings without masks, others are styimied — or having a hard time adjusting to normalcy.
As Americans remember those in the military who died while serving their country, this Memorial Day can be especially challenging for those finding it difficult to start returning to normal life.
Getting Out after a long back
But vacationers like KerryAnn McGregor said the renewed freedom is welcome.
“It’s a whole year of staying indoors, and now you come outside everybody is out riding their bikes, jogging, exercising, partying,” said McGregor, who was visiting Miami Beach this weekend. “It’s OK now.”
Breaking Air Travel Restrictions
At US aiports, Monday was poised to be the busiest day of the entire pandemic — capping a record weekend of holiday travel as more than 40% of Americans have been fully vaccinated.
The Transportation Security Administration screened more than 7 million people from Thursday to Sunday. On Friday, the TSA screened 1.96 million people.
And travel industry experts say this will likely be busy summer. On Monday, United Airlines said bookings for this June through August are more than double the numbers from last year.
People Health Concerns
Generally healthy people who have been fully vaccinaated “should feel very well protected,” CNN medical analyst and emergency physician Dr. Leana Wen said.
Limitations Outbreak Dangers
Don’t be fooled by the holiday barbecues, parties and reopened movie theaters.
There’s still a lot of work to be done to end the Covid-19 pandemic, and any country that thinks the danger has passed is wrong, said World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“We’re very encouraged that cases and deaths are continuing to decline globally, but it would be a monumental error for any country to think the danger has passed,” he said.
Scars Remain after the Pandemic Wounds
“One day — hopefully soon — the pandemic will be behind us. But the psychological scars will remain for those who have lost loved ones, health workers who have been stretched beyond breaking point. and the millions of people of all ages confronted with months of loneliness and isolation.”
But for those fully vaccinated, the loneliness and isolation are fading away. And at some popular Memorial Day destinations, those who still need a free shot could easily get one.
Vaccination Shots Programs
New Jersey launched a new program called “Shots at the Shore,” at which adults have an option of getting a Moderna, Johnson & Johnson or Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine at beaches or boardwalks.
