Oklahomans Travel For Thanksgiving Holiday Despite CDC Recommendations Against It

The day before Thanksgiving is typically the busiest travel day of the entire year.

Travel at Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers World Airport has slowed, but not stopped due to COVID-19.

“I feel comfortable in the N95, gloves and a face shield,” Angel Lindsay said as she and her husband headed to catch a flight to Florida.

Lindsay said her family was set to visit Oklahoma for Thanksgiving but canceled because they worried Oklahoma had become a COVID-19 hotspot.

“Since everything’s so out of control, they decided not to and we made (Thanksgiving plans) a lot smaller, just the six adults so we can have some family,” She said. 

According to CDC guidance, small outdoor dinners with family and friends who live in your community is considered moderate risk. Large indoor gatherings with people not from your household is a high risk.

“We felt that it was imperative to make a stronger push to recommend not traveling for the holidays,” CDC’s Dr. Erin Sauber-Schatz said. “The safest way to celebrate thanksgiving this year is at home with the people who live in your household.”

Many travelers in Oklahoma City said the risk of contracting COVID-19 is one they are willing to take to travel for the holidays.

“We are not going to change our life because of the coronavirus,” Herp Estus said. “We try to do whatever we need to, wear the masks, allow distance, but otherwise, why change your life when we rather take a chance?”

“We were expecting a bit of a surge because of sent thanksgiving travel people were wanting to get out of town,” said Josh Ryan from Will Rogers World Airport.

While Wednesday will likely be the busiest travel day this year, he said volume is still down by about 50% compared to last year.