Labor Day travel discouraged for the unvaccinated, valley hospital reports 10 COVID-related deaths in one week

If you are not vaccinated, you should consider staying home over the Labor Day weekend, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

"First and foremost, if you are unvaccinated, we would recommend not traveling," said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky at a White House COVID-19 briefing on Tuesday.

Our local health officials are echoing that recommendation as cases continue to surge here in the Coachella Valley.

On Wednesday, Eisenhower Health issued a notice on social media reporting 10 COVID-19 deaths in the span of one week.

"In the last week, our numbers escalated by about 25%," said Dr. Anil Perumbeti, Medical Director, Intensive Care Unit, Eisenhower Health.

Dr. Perumbeti says with cases surging locally and nationally, unvaccinated people of all ages should take the travel recommendations seriously this holiday weekend —  adding his team has seen an increasing number of young people with serious COVID-19 complications in the ICU.

"Whereas previously someone who was 20, 30 or 40 years old might have been able to fight through this a little easier at home, now the strain is so strong that there's not a lot you can do," he said.

The youngest death recorded at Eisenhower this week: age 34. All 10 deaths were among the unvaccinated.

If you are vaccinated, Dr. Perumbeti says the guidance for travel is not as strict. Although limiting the amount of travel and exposure to others is recommended for everyone.

Additionally, he encourages taking the standard precautions as his team continues to see breakthrough cases in the community: “If you are traveling to be wearing your mask, washing your hands frequently and trying to keep as much distance as you can from others.”