Omicron cases are starting to soar across the U.S.
It comes as millions gather with family for Christmas. But as people try to make it home for Christmas, they are also looking for places to get tested for COVID-19 which is driving a nationwide shortage in testing supplies.
Lines backed up all across the country to buy at home test kits. Demand is so high that more retailers including CVS and Walgreens are limiting the number of kits customers can buy.
While buying a test is a challenge, labs have been challenged too. Labs all around the country are getting overwhelmed, creating long backlogs for test results.
Airlines and flight attendants are asking the CDC to cut the recommended isolation period in half for breakthrough cases from ten days to five.
Airlines are worried about potential staff shortages that could impact operations.
Meanwhile, more than 100 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or more between Dec. 24 and January 2, according to AAA. That’s a 34-percent increase from last year. Twenty-seven-point-seven million more people are expected to hit the road this year. AAA says it’s a good idea to take several steps before you head out to visit family and friends.
Airlines are expected to see a 184-percent increase in traffic from last year with more than six million people flying over the next week.
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