Karen Holling, a 47-year-old homemaker in the Phoenix area, was planning to drive to Los Angeles with her stepmother later this month for a three-night stay. The pair began to reconsider as cases of the Delta variant rose. They’re both fully vaccinated, but worried about the Covid-19 risk—and that businesses might shut down, keeping them from fully enjoying the trip. This week, they decided to call it off until case numbers improve.
“We just don’t want to risk it,” she says. They were able to get a full refund on their hotel, she says, because they canceled with enough advance notice.
With cases of the more-infectious Delta variant rising and summer travel even more chaotic than usual, some people are having second thoughts about their vacations. While plenty of people are forging ahead, others are considering modifying their plans—canceling, postponing or pursuing lower-risk activities without nixing the whole trip.
Here are some strategies if you’re reconsidering.
Check local Covid-19 case counts and changing restrictions
Just as many travelers check the weather forecast before their trips, they should also make a habit of checking the local Covid-19 case count, says Jessica Justman, an infectious-disease specialist and associate professor of medicine in epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. “Things change certainly from month to month, and even from week to week,” she says.
