Spring break travelers taking extra precautions during coronavirus outbreak

ATLANTA — Spring break is just kicking off for a lot of schools and colleges across the southeast.

Channel 2′s Lori Wilson was at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, where a lot of spring break travelers are taking extra precautions and hoping to enjoy their time away worry-free. Many travelers were wearing face masks for an extra layer of protection from infection.

Wilson talked to many travelers at the airport who decided they weren't going to let the coronavirus get in the way of their fun.

Wilson spoke to one family who was taking a trip to Jamaica. Kate Abshier and her son Connor said they didn't want to miss their trip.

"This was deemed to be a safe trip, so of course I thought about it, but I didn't see any reason to cancel," Kate Abshier said. "It concerns me, but we're just taking the necessary precautions to make sure we're not infected."

Atlanta-based Delta Airlines is offering customers no change fees for booked travel. They are also improving cleaning practices and changing how air quality is circulated on their planes.

We talked to Dr. Chirag Patel from Wellstar about whether spring breakers should just stay home.

"If you're traveling internationally, go to the CDC website and adhere to their travel recommendations and restrictions," Patel said.

Patel said if you are traveling within the U.S., avoid areas where community outbreaks have happened.

Health officials said they believe progress is being made to fight the coronavirus, but a vaccine is at least a year away.

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