CHARLOTTE, N.C. — This weekend is a busy time for travelers, as people start hitting the roads and airways to see family and friends.
According to AAA, travel is up 35% from 2020 this holiday season.
As many people are getting ready to see family and friends, doctors say the omicron variant is picking up speed.
Millions of Americans take flights to see families and friends for the holidays.
While travel is up this year, COVID-19 is still a concern for many. Medical experts are still trying to understand the new omicron variant's transmissibility and severity. Due to a rise in cases, the federal mask mandate had been extended through mid-March.
Many travelers WCNC Charlotte spoke to on Sunday said they were getting tested to feel safe around their families.
"I came from college, so I started COVID testing a week before every day just to make sure, and we got tested the day before we left," Elizabeth Marriet said.
At StarMed on Tuckaseegee Road, Sunday was met with long lines of people waiting to get a test.
The urgent care will be testing all week. CVS and Walgreens also have testing options available to schedule and a quick search led us to rapid at-home tests.
Most are out of stock online but can be purchased in stores.
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.