MENASHA, Wis. (NBC 26) -- Amid the growing threat of COVID variants, some still expect travel out of Northeast Wisconsin to boom in the coming months.
"I wouldn't recommend to anybody to cancel their plans as of right now," Travel LeadersExecutive Vice President Brian Hurley said. "The volume over the last since about March has been close to normal. Now is it going to change because of the Delta variants? It could."
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The state added almost 1,400 new coronavirus cases on Monday. Despite concerns, Hurley says you can take a trip safely… for now.
"Some of the safest places that you're going to be today is going to be at an airport," he said. "Everybody is fully masked. The cleaning processes that they have there have never been better."
The CDC added 16 locations -- including Greece and Ireland -- to its "very high" COVID-19 travel risk list. But Hurley trusts masking, sanitizing, social distancing and hand washing as protocols to follow.
Travel Leaders Executive VP Brian Hurley has some advice for Northeast Wisconsinites with travel plans in the coming days as the COVID Delta variant continues to spur on another influx of positive cases nationwide. pic.twitter.com/ZyYM1ETFXO
— NBC 26 News (@NBC26) August 4, 2021
"There are some hot spots," he said "But if you stick to those four basic things, I think you're gonna be okay."
And travelers flying to the United States are currently required to take a COVID test, regardless of vaccination status.
#COVID19 cases are often highest in areas of the country with the lowest vaccination coverage. CDC has new county-level maps showing the overlap between vaccination rates and COVID-19 case rates. Learn more about vaccination and cases in your county: https://t.co/hdTclb41lt. pic.twitter.com/s76fpwuONl
— CDC (@CDCgov) August 3, 2021
"There's that safety in traveling international and coming back to the United States that you know everybody has had a negative test result," Hurley said.
The Department of Health Services labeled Brown Co. as an area with 'high case' activity.
So some health officials are concerned about travel to Northeast Wisconsin.
Today's #COVID19_WI update shows cases continuing to climb. We encourage you to look at the 7-day average because daily numbers fluctuate, and this gives a better understanding of virus activity across the state: https://t.co/QmOMYM84WM pic.twitter.com/lw22uV2WQo
— WIDeptHealthServices (@DHSWI) August 3, 2021
"People aren't going to travel to our area if we are a hot spot in the country," Bellin Health Dr. Brad Burmeister said. "I'm talking about Packer games this fall."
If you're deciding on the next destination for a trip, Hurley says 'trust your gut.'
"We all want to travel now," he said. "We're tired of being indoors. Don't change you're plans. Protocols are in place."
The CDC currently does not ask vaccinated individuals to avoid most travel.
