The sun is out, major storms are over, and things are looking up. I’m feeling optimistic today. I’m optimistic that things are moving in the right direction and that we will soon be able to safely return to doing the things we love most. Here is some encouraging news:
New Covid Cases in U.S. Are Declining
Back in January, new cases in the U.S. were averaging 250k per day. However, over the past few weeks, new cases have dropped significantly. The seven-day average is down in the low 70k range. See this graph on the Johns Hopkins website.
Thankfully, cases are also way down in Texas, which has been one of the most affected states from a pure numbers standpoint. The past few weeks have dropped off significantly, even before and after the winter storm shut things down.
Vaccines Are Ramping Up
According to NPR, over 64 million vaccine doses have been administered in the U.S. as of today. That’s 13.3% of the population.
The U.S. is shipping out 14.5 million doses this week. Pfizer and Moderna will have 220 million more doses to ship by the end of next month.
I was encouraged to see that Connecticut even published a timeline of when the last group would start receiving the vaccine:
Even One Dose is Effective
Even though many people have only received one vaccine dose so far, studies show that even one dose is 72% effective. And that aint too shabby!
Vaccines Are Effective Against Variants
Recent studies show that Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are effective even against new Covid variants. But just in case, Moderna is working on a booster to combat the variants.
More Schools are Reopening
As cases go down, more schools are reopening safely across the U.S. That’s great news for children and parents!
Fauci Expects Rules to Relax for Vaccinated People
Dr. Fauci recently told CNN he thinks that CDC will relax some guidelines for people who have been vaccinated. This makes a lot of sense, and I’m interested to see what the new guidelines will be.
Herd Immunity by April
A professor at Johns Hopkins predicted that Covid would be mostly gone by this summer, and the U.S. may have herd immunity by April. Ok, maybe that’s a little TOO optimistic. But, his reasoning makes sense.
What Does This Have to Do with Travel?
Yes, this is still a travel blog. I haven’t turned into an epidemiologist overnight. But, all of this good news has EVERYTHING to do with travel, and with everything else you miss and love. Movies. Indoor Dining. Concerts. Parties.
Getting this virus under control will bring us more opportunities to socialize, travel and return to our pre-pandemic life. Sure, things won’t be exactly the same. We may need to wear masks for a few more years, and maybe masks will never go away in some situations.
But, I am optimistic. Are you? How are you feeling about the future of travel lately?
Author: Nancy
Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney.
I’m pretty much seeing things as you are. I have a trip to Bali set up for October and another trip to Malaysia in January. I’d guess that my wife and I will be vaccinated before May. It’s certainly cause for optimism.
Definitely! I’m glad you’re optimistic too.