LUZERNE, Pa. — Few travelers and fights were taking off at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport in Luzerne County, but that soon may change.
Fully vaccinated people can travel again. That's according to new CDC guidance. Good news for folks who are ready to travel.
"Allowing people to travel more freely will be encouraging to a lot of people who live in different places and maybe haven't seen family or haven't gone anywhere in a number of months. I think it's a really good thing," said Christopher Ebert from Courtdale.
The new guidance says:
- Fully vaccinated people can travel within the U.S. without getting tested for the coronavirus or quarantining after their trip.
- People traveling to international destinations do not need to get a COVID-19 test before leaving unless the destination country requires it.
- For travelers coming into the U.S., vaccinated people should still get a negative COVID-19 test before boarding a flight and be tested three to five days after arrival. However, they do not need to quarantine.
Travel agent Karen Monko-Nagle, who owns Sea the World Travel in Luzerne County, says that the business has picked up over the past three weeks.
"People are getting more comfortable because they are, you know, getting the vaccinations, and they feel once they get that vaccination, it's like a million pounds have been lifted off their shoulder, and now they feel comfortable being on an airplane or being at a resort where other people are around," said Karen Monko-Nagle, owner of Sea the World Travel.
Folks say they already have a destination they would like to travel to when the time is right.
"I would love to go to Florida and see the ocean and, you know, do nice things," said Jessica Doban, from West Wyoming.
"I would love to go to somewhere with like, clear blue water, you know, so anywhere where there's that I know that's outside the U.S., but we're at least hoping to get somewhere tropical or close to it this year," said Ebert.
"If at some point I'm fully vaccinated, and I'm allowed to travel, you know wherever I would feel pretty comfortable even with my fiancé and our son," said Jamie Chagnon of Kingston.
Karen Monko-Nagle says the key to traveling and doing so safely this year is getting vaccinated.
But even still, the CDC is still urging people not to travel.