Experts Weigh In On Coronavirus-Related Risks Involved In Taking A Summer Trip As States Continue To Reopen
SECAUCUS, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- The tri-state area reopening may have have you thinking about hitting the road.
As exciting as that sounds, there are still a lot of risks involved, risks that local officials are still considering if they decide the pace for moving forward.
Also a sensitive decision, just figuring out whether it's safe to take a trip this summer.
"Everything's opening back up so it's like way more people than I've been around in a long time," traveler Liza Bella told CBS2's Jessica Layton.
After being cooped up for three months at her home in the Bronx, Bella decided it was time to head down the shore for a socially distant weekend getaway.
"About to go camping," she said.
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"It's very important that you be very cautious on this trip," Robert Sinclair of AAA said.
Sinclair says most people believe driving is safer than flying right now, but even a road trip comes with risk and precautions are key.
"You have to be particularly careful at rest stops because they're like petri dishes," he said.
Travelers securing their masks at rest stops reflects the times we're living in and understanding the rules.
Many rest stop facilities are still only operating at 50% capacity, which is smart when you consider the spike in coronavirus we're seeing in other parts of the country.
CORONAVIRUS: NY Health Dept. | NY Call 1-(888)-364-3065 | NYC Health Dept. | NYC Call 311, Text COVID to 692692 | NJ Health Dept. | NJ Call 1-(800)-222-1222 or 211, Text NJCOVID to 898211 | CT Health Dept. | CT Call 211
A study from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia tracked COVID-19 along the nation's interstate highway system, along I-10 from Florida through Texas and Arizona. The data then follows the virus up I-5 in California, Oregon, and Washington.
"We know you gotta go but you have to do so safely," Sinclair said.
Of course, anything you do depends on your comfort level right now.
If you're pumping your own gas, remember all the germs that are on the pump. One silver lining though -- gas prices are still about 60 cents cheaper than they were a year ago.
