LEE COUNTY — COVID-19 cases continue to rise around the country, and as a result the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have put strict recommendations in place for travelers.
The CDC says, if you’re planning to get on an airplane, you should take two COVID-19 tests, one before you leave, and one when you get back, and then quarantine for 7 days. If you don't get tested, it says you need to quarantine for at least 14 days.
But earlier this month, Dr. Anthony Fauci warned against traveling in airports altogether.
“When you see people traveling. You see the clips on TV. People at airports. I mean those are the things we’ve got to realize are going to get us into even more trouble," said Fauci.
We also reached out to Lee Health to get its recommendation. The hospital system responded saying "We recommend not getting testing unless you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or have had recent prolonged and direct contact with someone who has tested positive. If traveling and you are concerned about COVID-19, it is best to quarantine for 7 days before and after your travel."
With all this differing advice, we wanted to see what precautions travelers are taking at Southwest Florida International Airport. We asked several people if they planned to quarantine.
“Um, yeah I think that is. Also because my husband’s getting a surgery. So definitely," said Debbie Smith, who was catching a flight back home to Dallas.
“I got one person I might hang out with. She’s a nurse and they test them regularly. They have to. So yeah, just keep it limited," said Blake Luttman, who was on his way back to Minnesota.
On the CDC website, it says you can reduce that 14 day timeline to 7 days by getting tested before you leave, and after you get back. Once again, people had different approaches.
“I got tested before I got here, just because for my family, and my sister had Coronavirus. She got tested, tested positive. She wasn’t able to come down," said Luttman.
“No I haven’t gotten tested, but I haven’t had a fever or anything. I’ve got wipes for the plane, and I’ve got my mask. I just washed my hands," said Smith.
