Almost 90% of Marylanders are planning to stay home for Thanksgiving, according to a new survey released Thursday by AAA.
Half of those who responded to the survey said they are staying home because of the coronavirus, the survey said, and 43% of people felt it would be a “significant” risk to travel.
Thursday was the fourth time the state has reported 2,000 or more cases in the past six days. Gov. Larry Hogan has encouraged people to stay home for the holiday and avoid traveling out of state if possible.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged Americans on Thursday to stay home for the holidays and consider canceling plans to travel to visit relatives outside their households.
The Maryland Department of Health wrote in a release Thursday that Marylanders should seriously consider limiting their travel through New Year’s Day. The department has launched a webpage that looks to answer frequently asked questions about holiday travel during the pandemic.
“We are all tired of this pandemic and desperately want it to be over, but now is not the time to let our guard down,” said department secretary Robert R. Neall.
AAA said it asked 873 residents about their travel plans, given the messages from public health officials and the Republican governor about the need to be vigilant against the virus.
Of those planning to still travel for Thanksgiving, 79% are planning to drive and 14% plan to fly.
