South Florida Holiday Air Travel Busy Despite Surge In COVID Cases, Omicron Variant

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - Despite the rise in new COVID-19 cases, air travelers do not appear to be scaling back their holiday plans.

The TSA reported screening more than two million passengers for the third straight day on Sunday.

At a busy Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, there were long lines and some said they were not worried about the quickly spreading omicron variant.

"I'm not worried," said Manuel Carlo. "I got my booster today, I got double vaccinated, I wear my mask, you gotta stay safe, that's it."

Some travelers said the precautions were overkill.

"I'm vaccinated, so hopefully that protects me," said Victoria Piota.

As travel increases so is the COVID infection rate. Almost 30 thousand new COVID cases were reported statewide since Friday. The surge has caused several local events, like the Polar Express show in Miami and the iHeartRadio's Jingle Ball at the FLA Live Arena to be canceled.

In a statement, Jingle Ball organizers said the decision was made, "due to the increased transmission of the new COVID-19 variant and to further minimize any potential risks, as a precautionary measure and for the safety of our staff, talent, and guests, we have made the decision to cancel tonight's (Sunday) iHeartRadio Y100 Jingle Ball."

On Sunday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, stressed the importance of getting vaccinated, saying the safety measure is needed.

"We are going to be in for some serious difficulties right now, and we better be doing more to mitigate against that. It's never too late to get vaccinated, and if you're vaccinated, go get boosted and be prudent in everything else you do, when you travel, when you're in indoor settings that congregate, wear a mask. It's going to be tough."

Both Broward and Miami-Dade counties reported COVID positivity rates that are now at almost eight percent, that number is up from previous weeks.