TAMPA, Fla. — The 2021 holiday travel season was busier than expected and brought many troubles for travelers.
As a COVID-19 surge fueled by the omicron variant spread rapidly during the holiday season, flights were negatively impacted.
The days surrounding Christmas brought tens of thousands of flight cancellations. Some airlines cited staffing shortages caused by COVID-19 as the reason for flight changes.
Many flights in the latest round of cancellations, according to a Tampa International Airport spokesperson, were impacted by major storms and severe weather across the country.
This past Saturday and Sunday, more than 5,000 flights were canceled. At TPA, they saw 107 canceled flights and 281 delays. Monday morning, the airport already had 41 cancellations and 28 delays with more expected throughout the day.
As cases of COVID-19 break daily records in Florida, it is a good time to consider getting tested after gathering or traveling for the holidays.
The CDC recommends getting tested after possible exposure, defined as 15 minutes or more of contact either unmasked or masked, indoors or outdoors.
You should wear a mask while you're waiting to get tested. The most ideal time to test is five days after your potential exposure. Once you've tested negative and exhibited no symptoms, you're good to go.