'I'm OK With It': Some Continue To Travel Ahead Of Thanksgiving Holiday
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - As millions of Americans prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, health officials are hoping people heed the warning and stay home.
Around 1 million travelers packed planes every day over the weekend, as public health officials are urging people to stay home.
Tiera is flying home to see family in Mississippi.
"I'm OK with it, as long as, you know, everyone wears a mask. It's clean, it's nice, I don't mind it," she said.
But overall, the airport looked slow for the week of a major holiday.
The Minnesota Department of Health asked that families not rely on getting tested as a guarantee for safe gathering. It is possible to get a negative test result that could turn positive days later.
"If we thought that would be an effective means to allow people to get together, we would have suggested it at this point, that won't solve people's problems" said Kris Ehresman, Infectious Disease Division Director.
Health officials did say getting tested and then quarantining for two weeks could be a different story. Assistant commissioner Dan Huff encouraged every Minnesotan to have a plan of how and where to get a test, but asked that people not hoard at-home tests.
"It's like toilet paper. If everybody went to the store and bought up all the toilet paper it would be gone. But if people who are going to get tested need to get tested, we have enough tests," said Huff.
MDH says the current turn-around time for saliva test sites is 24 to 48 hours, and for swab sites the average is two to three days.
A new poll shows that 75% of the country plans to follow CDC guidance and not travel for Thanksgiving. Only 8% said they would gather with a large group for Thanksgiving.