■ Americans hit the road in near-record numbers at the start of Memorial Day weekend.
Americans rush to hit road even as costs rise
Americans hit the road in near-record numbers at the start of Memorial Day weekend, as their eagerness to break free from coronavirus confinement overcame higher prices for flights, gasoline and hotels.
More than 1.8 million people went through U.S. airports Thursday, and the daily number was widely expected to cross 2 million at least once over the long holiday weekend, which would be the highest mark since early March 2020.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned people to expect long lines at airports and appealed for travelers to be patient.
The rise in travel appears to be fueled by an increase in COVID-19 vaccinations as well as an improving economy. The U.S. Commerce Department said consumer spending increased in April, although not as much as in March, showing how consumers are driving a recovery from last year’s pandemic recession.
At Miami International Airport, officials expected crowds equal to pre-pandemic levels. It was a similar story in Orlando, where airport traffic has reached 90 percent of 2019 levels as tourists flocked to theme parks that have recently loosened restrictions.
Along the Florida coasts and around Orlando, many hotels were booked solid through the weekend.
“We are going into off-season, and it has not slowed down,” said Cathy Balestriere, general manager of Crane’s Beach House, a boutique hotel in Delray Beach, Florida.
Vacation destinations like Las Vegas, Hawaii and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, were among the top destinations for holiday revelers, according to AAA. Paula Twidale, a spokeswoman for the auto club and insurer, said the pickup in travel began in April as more Americans got vaccinated and the weather improved.
“People are just excited to get out,” she said.
Memorial Day coincides with some states eliminating their remaining pandemic restrictions as the number of new COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths decline.
Virginia, where President Joe Biden traveled to tout his administration’s efforts to contain the virus, is easing all distancing and capacity restrictions Friday. A mask mandate in Massachusetts ends Saturday.
AAA expects a 60 percent jump in travel over the 2020 Memorial Day weekend, with 37 million Americans traveling at least 50 miles from home, most of them in cars.
In other developments:
■ Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared Friday that public schools no longer have his permission to require masks for coronavirus protection, though his executive order fell short of banning such mandates outright.
■ Crew members of ships arriving at the California ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are being offered COVID-19 vaccinations. The vaccinations are administered without charge to international crews aboard ships visiting San Pedro Bay.
■ Two sheriff ’s deputies who contracted COVID-19 have died in less than two weeks. The Denver Sheriff ’s Department announced the death of Deputy Daniel “Duke” Trujillo on Thursday. His death followed the death of Deputy James Herrera. Both worked at the city’s downtown jail.
■ Massachusetts public schools will be required to offer full-time, in-person learning this fall, with most coronavirus-related restrictions lifted.