Health Officials Warn, Traveling During Labor Day Weekend Could Cause Spike in COVID Cases

Millions of Americans are expected to travel during this Labor Day weekend.

One top health official is urging everyone to use caution while they get together to avoid a coronavirus surge.

Currently, the CDC reports there are more than six million COVID-19 cases in the US and more than 185,000 deaths.

The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci doesn't want to see an increase in cases because of large gatherings this holiday weekend.

Meanwhile, the talk continues over when a vaccine might be ready.    

The CDC sent a letter to all 50 states urging them to be prepared for a vaccine by November 1 - much earlier than experts believe one will be ready.

And the chief scientific adviser for President Trump's "Operation Warp Speed" Dr. Moncef Slaoui told NPR that a vaccine before election day is "possible, but extremely unlikely." 

He is strongly optimistic, though, about one being ready in 2020.

"We may have enough vaccine by the end of the year to immunize probably, I would say, between 20 and 25 million people," Dr. Slaoui said. "And then we will ramp up the manufacturing to immunize the US population by the middle of 2021."

US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams also spoke out about vaccines.

"We've always said that we are hopeful for a vaccine by the end of this year or beginning of next year," Dr. Adams noted. "Tony Fauci has affirmed that several times in the last 48 hours, but said, it's not just about having a vaccine that is safe and effective; it's about being ready to distribute it."   

ABC News reports the CDC is predicting up to 211,000 American deaths by the end of September.

All this while colleges continue to struggle with COVID-19.

According to ABC News, Indiana University's Bloomington campus wants fraternities and sororities to re-consider their choice to stay in housing that is off-campus.

That's after more than 400 people tested positive for COVID in 37 of the school's 42 greek houses in the last two weeks.    

But officials say if you send students home, that could compound the problem.  

President and CEO of North American Interfraternity Conference, Judson Horras said, "Fraternities should stay focused on safety in quarantine right now and following Dr. Fauci's advice, which is if you don't have symptoms, you're asymptomatic and you have it, stay in quarantine. The worst possible solution is to leave your quarantine and create more community spread. That's why the fraternities are gonna stay in their facilities."

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