Know your family's 'acceptable risks' before traveling Labor Day weekend, epidemiologist urges

State and federal health officials are urging unvaccinated people to skip traveling this Labor Day weekend as cases of COVID-19 continue to increase across the country likely as a result of the delta variant.

AS COVID CASES CONTINUE TO RISEACROSS THE NATION...THE C-D-CIS TELLING PEOPLE NOT TOTRAVELTHIS HOLIDAY WEEKEND...REGARDLESS OF YOU RVACCINATIONSTATUS.I'M JULIE BRAGGIN FOR CANDACE TONIGHT.AND I'M BILL FITZGERADL.JIB TO SAM OUR CAMERONTHOMPSON SPOKE TO MEDICALEXPERTS - AS WELL AS A FEWPEOPLEWHO PLAN TO TRAVEL ANYWAY...CAMONER?POSTPONE IT IF YOU CAN.V THAT ESMSAGE FROM FEDERALAND STATE HEALTHOFFICIALS TO THOSE PEOPLE WHOAREN'T FULLY VACCINATED ANDCONSIDERING TRAVELING FOR THELABOR DAY LONG WEEKEND.AND I WOULD SAY IT'S DBOULY SONOW THAT WE'RE SEEING RATES ASHIGH AS THEY ARE IN VIRGINIA ANDTHROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.ACCORDING TO THE CDC'S WEBSITETRACKING TRANSMISSIONRATES OFCO VID-19 -- EVERY STATEINTHE U.S.IS SEEING HIGHTRANSMISSION AND IN VIRGINIA --SO ISEVERY CITY AND COUNTY AS OFFRIDAY AFTERNOON.VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTHEPIDEMIOLOGISTMARSHALL VOGT SAYS THEUNVACCINATED ARE AT A HIGHERRISKOF EXPOSURE -- WHEN ON THINGSLIKE PLANES, TRAINS, OR BUSES.AND THEN GOING INTO STAYINGWITHPEOPLE THAT MIGHT HAVE COVID,19, OR DOING THINGS, IFESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE GOING OUTWITH LARGE GROUPS AND INPOROLY VENTILATED SPACES WHERETHEY'RE AT AHIGHER RISK FOR GETTINGCOVID-19.AND THEN, AGAIN, BRINGING THATBACK WITH THEM AFTER THEITR RIP.VOGT SAYS IF YOU DO TRAVEL ANDARE UNVACCINATED -- YOU SHOULDGET TESTED BOTH BEFORE AND AFTERYOUR TRIPAT RICHMOND INTERNATIONALAIRPORT -- WHERE OFFICIALSEXPECTAROUND 50- THOUSAND FLYERS OVERTHE HOLIDAY -- THOSE CBS 6TALKED TO WERE ALL FULLYVACCINATED AND TAKINGPRECAUTIONS.WE'LL OF COURSE WEAR THEMASK AND NOT GET TOO CLOSE TOPEOPLE WE DON'T KNOW.GOING TO MAKE SURE I STAY SAFE.MASK UP.AND MAKE SURE MYSISTER'S SAFE AND WE'RE GOING TOHAVE A GOOD TIME.VOGT SAYS FULLY VACCINATEDPEOPLE ARE AT A LOWER RISK --BUTADDS WE HAVE SEEN CASES OFVACCINEBREAKTHROUGH.SO I TNHIK IT'SABOUT EVEN IF YOU'RE VACCNIATED,KNOWING WHATYOUR RISKS ARE, AND WHAT YOURACCEPTABLE RISKS ARFE OR YOU ANDYOUR FAMILY, AND --E RGARDLESSOFVACCINE STATUS -- ANYONE WHODOESTRAVEL -- VOGT SAYS THEYSHO ULDCLOSELY MONITOR THEIR HEALTHWHEN THEY RETURN.AND IF YOU DO GET SICK, IF YOUHAVE THOSE SYMPTOMS, AND YOUTHINK MAYBE IT'S JUST TOO COLD,MAYBE IT'S ALLERGIES, GOAHEAD AND GET TESTED, JUST TOMAKE SURE IT'S NOT COVIDINSTEAD.NOW, IF YOU'RE TRAVELING ANDLOOKING FOR TESTING WHENYOU GET BACK THE RICHMOND ANDNHERICO HEALTH DISTRICTS HAVELAUNCHED SOME NEW WEEKLY TESTINGOPPORTUNITIES.TWO ARE AT THEIR NEW COMMUNITYHUBS.TUESDAYS A RDIVE-THROUGH OPTIONAT SECONDBAPTIST CHURCH AND A WALKUP ATTHE EASTERN HENRICO RECCENTER ON WEDNESDAYS.AND THEN ROTATING LOCATIONS ONTHURSDAYS.