SOUTH CAROLINA, USA — Sunday was expected to be one of the busiest travel days of the year with millions returning after Thanksgiving.
Ron Hijduk, a traveler passing through a Camden-area rest stop, said the holiday was a time to reconnect with family after a distanced pandemic-year.
"It was great. It was really good to see some sisters. One in from Texas," Hijduk said. "Now, we have been stuck in traffic for a long time, so this rest stop was a perfect place to get out with the kids and throw the frisbee."
AAA said travel this holiday could reach a pandemic record.
Over 48 million people are expected to drive. Meanwhile, the company says, air travel has almost completely recovered from its dramatic fall during the pandemic with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening more than 2.2 million passengers Saturday alone.
The news comes as cases, once on the decline, start to rise again in South Carolina, leading the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) to raise concern at its weekly briefing.
"In general, any time you have large amounts of unvaccinated and/or unmasked folks gathering together... COVID 19 will spread more rapidly," Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC Public Health Director, said. "I don't want to hit the panic button, but we are strongly encouraging all South Carolinians to continue the safety protocols."
The new omicron variant has now led to travel restrictions in nations around the world.
As health officials learn more about its potential impact, they continue to encourage vaccinations and safety measures like masking.