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Travel Slightly Down Through Thanksgiving Holiday

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - The Centers for Disease Control had warned against traveling during the Thanksgiving holiday. Friday evening at Miami International Airport there were long lines at ticket counters.

There were also long lines at the TSA checkpoints. Travelers wore facial coverings but there was little social distancing.

"I have to say I was pleasantly surprised because we had heard real horror stories about Florida and how everyone is very rampant about not wearing masks. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised," Traveler Maria Leonisceti said.

Miami International Airport expected about 52,000 travelers a day during the holiday period.

Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International believes just under 69,000 people will pass through a day. Still down from last year but the most throughout the pandemic.

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On Friday, the office of congressman-elect Carlos Gimenez announced that the former Miami-Dade County mayor has been added to the increasing 221,000 COVID-19 caseloads in Miami-Dade County. His wife has also tested positive. Both are isolating for, at least, ten days at home.

"My wife and I are feeling fine. We have no symptoms," Gimenez said.

The former county mayor says his wife had a fever Monday. So, both were tested. She was positive and he was negative. But just as he expected, after a retest, the newly elected US representative was positive.

"I'm going to continue my orientation virtually. We were supposed to be back in DC on Monday. But I won't be able to do that," Gimenez said.

Miami-Dade has a two-week average positivity rate for new cases at 8.10%. In neighboring Broward County, it's slightly higher at 8.16%. Both rates mean the virus is spreading too quickly to too many people.

"We have a vaccine on the way. That's good news. We can get back to normal, hopefully, in the next four or five months," Gimenez said.

It's likely a vaccine will be shipped to South Florida next month, as soon as the FDA approves its emergency use. The CDC plans to meet Tuesday to make it official for frontline workers and long-term care residents to get the two injections first.

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