As COVID-19 reduced the number of available crew, American Airlines cancelled more than 1,300 flights on Sunday (December 26), and several cruise ships had to cancel their calls after the outbreak of the epidemic on board, which disrupted thousands The plan of a Christmas traveler.
According to statistics from the flight tracking website FlightAware.com, as of noon in the afternoon, commercial airlines have cancelled 1,318 flights in and out of the United States.
According to multiple media reports, at least three cruise ships were also forced to return to the port after COVID-19 cases were found on board, instead of calling at the port as planned.
For some Americans who travel on the weekend, this is the third consecutive day of pain, because the Christmas holiday is usually the peak time for travel, which coincides with the rapid spread of the Omicron variant across the country.
The top US infectious disease official, Dr. Anthony Fauci, warned that the number of US cases will increase in the next few days and may “beyond… hospitals, especially in areas where the proportion of people who have not been vaccinated is large”.
“It could be higher,” he said of the Omicron-driven surge, even as President Joe Biden announced last week new actions aimed at curbing the newest wave and continues to urge vaccinations and other prevention strategies.
With the increase in the number of infections, airlines have been forced to cancel flights where pilots and crew members need to be quarantined, and severe weather in certain areas has also increased the plight of passengers.
Enjoli Rodriguez, 25, was a Delta Air Lines Inc flight from Los Angeles to Lexington, Kentucky. It was cancelled on Christmas Eve. He was a week One of the thousands who are still stranded every day.
Delta Air Lines rebooked Rodriguez through Detroit, but the flight was delayed, so she missed the transfer.
Rodriguez said in a speech at Detroit Airport on Sunday that she was surrounded by angry passengers, distraught airline representatives and families with young children.
“I have met many people sharing their horror stories here. We are all trapped in Michigan and Detroit, going to different places,” Rodriguez told Reuters on a later flight to Kentucky.
A total of 997 flights were cancelled on Christmas Day, and nearly 700 flights were cancelled on Christmas Eve. Thousands of people were delayed in these three days.
A Delta Air Lines spokesperson said that “winter weather and Omicron aircraft in parts of the United States continue to affect” its holiday weekend flight schedule, but it is working to “change routes and replace aircraft and crews.”
United Airlines also said it is working to rebook the affected passengers, while a Southwest Airlines spokesperson said its cancellation is related to all weather.
Overall, the most severely affected US airports are Seattle, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth and New York’s Kennedy International Airport.
A White House official, who asked not to be named, said the government is closely monitoring the delays, but pointed out that although they would disrupt the plan, “only a small percentage of flights were affected.”
Delta Airlines cancelled 167 flights or 6% on Sunday; according to FlightAware, United Airlines cancelled 115 flights or 5%, and the United States cancelled 83 flights or 2%.
FlightAware data shows that as of 8:15 PM Eastern Time on Sunday (0015 GMT Monday), 3,023 flights worldwide have been cancelled, and more than 13,742 flights have been delayed.
Covid landed on cruise
At the same time, a cruise ship of Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines turned back feet. Lauderdale, CNN reported that a ship of the Carnival Company on Sunday returned to Miami after detecting the new crown virus on board, although it is not clear whether these cases are Omicron.
Carnival said that “a small number of people on the Carnival Liberty” cruise ship were quarantined because they tested positive for COVID. The cruise ship departed Miami later on Sunday for the next trip with another round of passengers.
“The rapid spread of Omicron variants may affect how some destination authorities with limited medical resources view even a small number of cases, even if they are managed through our strong agreement. If it is necessary to cancel the port, we will do our best to find Alternative destination,” it said in a statement.
According to NBC News and Fox News, a Dutch-American cruise ship returned to San Diego on Sunday after Mexican authorities banned it from docking in Puerto Vallarta on the grounds of cases on board. Carnival, which owns Holland America Cruise Line, did not mention the reported incident in its statement.
A representative of Royal Caribbean did not respond to a request for comment.
According to the Washington Post, overall, the COVID-19 outbreak has changed at least six voyages in the past week, which echoes the turmoil facing the industry after the COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020.
Testing problems exacerbate travel anxiety, as many Americans line up for vacation trips and lack home test kits to compete for their status.
“We obviously have to do better. I mean, I think the situation will improve greatly as we enter January, but it will not help us today and tomorrow,” Fauci is on ABC’s “This Week” show Said in.
At the same time, some states are already preparing for the upcoming New Year’s holiday weekend, warning residents to reduce the possibility of exposure to the virus.
“Omicron has surged across the state,” the Louisiana Department of Health wrote on Twitter on Sunday, noting that the number of Omicron-related hospitalizations has doubled in the past week. “We urge everyone to take safety precautions on New Year’s Eve.”
