Skip to Content

As visitors flow into Coachella Valley, health officials urge people not to travel ahead of spring break

If you happened to be in Palm Springs this weekend, you may have noticed crowded sidewalks and restaurants at capacity. Travelers have been flocking to the desert, and there are numbers to prove it.

"Our busiest day that we have data for so far was Sunday, March 11. We actually had the most throughput of passengers since before the pandemic started as well," said Palm Springs International Airport Deputy Director of Aviation, Marketing and Air, Daniel Meier.

Despite more people getting vaccinated, and state health officials relaxing some of the previous stringent guidelines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging people not to travel for spring break. The agency "recommends that you do not travel at this time. Delay travel and stay home to protect yourself and others from COVID-19." If people are traveling, the agency is advising to seek information about vaccines and medicine before departing on a trip.

"We welcome the tourists because as a tourist economy we need the tourists to survive," said CoCo LuLu employee, Christy Garneau.

Garneau couldn't help but notice a packed downtown Palm Springs this past weekend.

"The last week, we’re probably up about 10 percent. A lot more people are out, especially from the cold states," said Garneau.

On Friday the TSA reported on of its busiest travel days in almost a year.

"Things are starting to rebound here at the airport," said Meier.

PSP was also meeting the national trend.

"The atmosphere here at the desert just feels much busier. You’re seeing the planes coming in full, there’s a lot more buzz around the terminal. You can really just tell that things are starting to come back to normal," said Meier.

The city of Palm Springs also reported promising numbers in its wastewater testing method city officials adopted back in August. City councilman Geoff Kors said the latest findings reflected progress.

"So we’ve been hovering around an estimated 150 to 170 cases from last week that they think are active in Palm Springs," said Kors.

Those numbers are compared to a spike that Kors said reflected about 5,000 cases just a few months ago. Numbers also showed a slight increase last week.

"We did see some evidence-- what appears to be the South African variant in the waste water so that will get tested again this week," said Kors.

Despite an overall decline in numbers, Kors emphasized wearing masks and following public health protocols.

"Of course with the variants coming that are more contagious we want to keep everyone healthy, we want to keep everyone alive and we want to keep our businesses open, so just follow the rules," said Kors.

Meanwhile, the CDC posted some tips in case people do decide to travel:

  • Find out what vaccines, medicines, or advice is needed for your destination and plan a visit with your doctor or a travel medicine specialist at least 1 month before you leave the United States.
  • Get your flu shot at least 2 weeks before you travel, as it can take up to 2 weeks to be fully protected. Also, stay clear of people who are coughing or otherwise appear to be ill, and wash your hands often with soap and water.
  • Make sure you are up-to-date on the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine. There are outbreaks of measles in popular destinations.
  • Talk to your doctor about the hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccines.
Article Topic Follows: News

Jump to comments ↓

Author Profile Photo

Shelby Nelson

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

News Channel 3 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.

Skip to content