Philly Labor Day Travel: How Delta Will Impact Holiday

PHILADELPHIA — Pennsylvanians are getting ready to hit the road to mark the unofficial end of summer this Labor Day weekend — but getting out may be more difficult than you'd think.

After more than a year in the doldrums of the coronavirus pandemic, travel this summer rebounded with a vengeance as COVID-19 cases hit lows not seen in months.

Over the July 4 holiday weekend, more than 10 million people passed through U.S. airport security checkpoints. In all, more than 47 million people were expected to travel over that holiday, according to AAA estimates.

However, things may look different this Labor Day.

As the highly contagious delta variant sweeps across the United States, COVID-19 cases are up again, averaging close to 140,000 new cases per day. While some travelers are wondering whether to take that final summer trip, many are hitting the road anyway.

"Whether and how to travel is a very personal decision," Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel, said in a news release. "By and large, people who were planning to travel are still taking their trips, while being mindful to take precautions to protect themselves and others."
If you're planning to get out of town this Labor Day weekend, here are a few tips on how to prepare for the trip as well as ideas to keep you and your family safe, according to AAA."

Location data company Arrivalist is predicting slightly lower travel volume this Labor Day holiday due to the impact on travel from the Delta variant.

The company expects travel to be 10 percent lower than 2019 and 1 percent lower than 2020 numbers.

"Road trips remain the most resilient form of travel in the pandemic," says Arrivalist Founder and CEO Cree Lawson. "Considering the increased case count, it’s surprising how resilient travel by private car has been. Americans are still hitting the road to have fun, see attractions, and visit family and friends at the same rate as last year, when cases were falling."

Arrivalist’s methodology is based on a representative balanced panel of GPS signals representing road trips taken specifically in cars (excluding travel by air). A trip is measured as one where the user has traveled a minimum of 50 miles and spent a minimum of two hours at the destination.

Mask Guidance For Travelers

Masks should be at the top of your packing list, according to AAA.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated its guidance on mask-wearing, advising all people over age 2 to wear masks indoors in areas with high COVID-19 transmission, regardless of vaccination status.

You can also count on having to wear a mask on planes, buses, trains and other forms of public transportation. Masks are also required in airports and stations.

It's also a good rule of thumb to check local and state mask requirements and guidance. You can do this using AAA's COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Map. You can also use TripTik.AAA.com to plan your road trip and help determine which rest stops, gas stations, restaurants and hotels are open along your route.

Traveling Internationally

If you're heading north, Canada has reopened its border to vaccinated Americans. Still, international travel requires a bit of coordination.

If you are fully vaccinated, the CDC's recommends you still get tested for the COVID-19 virus within three to five days of traveling internationally. Unless your destination country requires it, you do not need to get tested before leaving the United States. You also do not need to self-quarantine after arriving in the United States.

Anyone coming into the United States by plane, including U.S. citizens and fully vaccinated people, are required to have a negative COVID-19 test result no more than three days before travel. They can also provide documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the past three months before boarding a flight to the United States.

Traveling With Children

If you're traveling with children who are not yet eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, AAA recommends you avoid crowds and close contact with other unvaccinated people who are not a part of your household.

Consider traveling by car or direct flight, AAA advises, which reduces your risk of exposure. If traveling by car, pack snacks and drinks to limit the number of stops during the trip.

Gas Prices In Pennsylvania

How much can you expect to pay at the pump? AAA data shows the average price for a gallon of gas in Pennsylvania was $3.275 on Thursday. Average prices are updated daily. In the five-county Philadelphia region, the average price as of Thursday was $3.28.

If the price of gas sends you into sticker shock, you're not alone.

As of Thursday, the national average is $3.14 per gallon, which is up from last year's national average of $2.20

During the run-up to Labor Day weekend, pump prices will likely continue to fluctuate due to high crude oil prices. However, AAA predicts that as gas demand drops considerably following the final holiday weekend of summer, American drivers will see some relief at the pump.

With reporting by Charles Woodman and Megan VerHelst