NYers Plan COVID Precautions, No Travel For Thanksgiving: Survey

NEW YORK, NY — High vaccination rates and low coronavirus cases will make for a very different Thanksgiving this year than in 2020, but most New Yorkers are still worried about the holiday, according to a survey.

More than half of New Yorkers who responded to a Patch survey about their 2021 Thanksgiving plans said they don't plan to travel to see family or friends for the holiday, and just over 40 percent say they won't spend it with anyone outside of their household.

Even with the modest celebrations, 65 percent said they plan to take some level of COVID-19 precautions, whether that be getting tested or wearing a mask, according to the survey.

The inclination to safeguard against the virus is in part in line with The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which continues to recommend taking precautions, but isn't advising against travel or gathering with people from outside households, like it did last year.

People should hold off on traveling until they are fully vaccinated, and everyone should wear a mask — regardless of vaccination status — when using public transit, such as an airplane, train or bus, the CDC recommends.

New Yorkers are likely also wary of repeating last year, when coronavirus cases climbed dramatically around the holidays before peaking in January. More than 61 percent said they worry about a rise in COVID cases and hospitalizations after the holiday.

This year, cases of COVID-19 in New York City have consistently fallen since mid-September. Citywide, 68 percent of New Yorkers were fully vaccinated and 74 percent had at least one dose as of Friday.

Despite their worry, some New Yorkers were looking forward to a slight improvement.

"Looking forward to some freedom and the human touch," one reader wrote when asked how this year compares to last year.

"Less awful," wrote another.

Here's a closer look at the data: