Be definite to cheque your formation earlier traveling

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – There were 6 flights canceled astatine Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) connected Friday morning, 4 with Jet Blue and 2 with United, according to Flight Aware. Five different flights were delayed.

Hundreds of flights crossed the United States were delayed oregon canceled -- arsenic the omicron variant continues to spread. More than 230 flights were delayed successful the U.S. -- with astir 2,000 cancellations.

United, Delta and Alaska airlines made changes conscionable earlier Christmas Eve. The airlines are moving to fto passengers cognize earlier they get to the airdrome -- arsenic they effort to rebook flights.

The airlines accidental a spike successful COVID-19 cases among workers is causing unit shortages and there’s atrocious upwind successful immoderate areas.

A memo shared by United Airlines reads:

“The nationwide spike successful omicron cases this week has had a nonstop interaction connected our formation crews and the radical who tally our operation. As a result, we’ve unluckily had to cancel immoderate flights and are notifying impacted customers successful beforehand of them coming to the airport. We’re atrocious for the disruption and are moving hard to rebook arsenic galore radical arsenic imaginable and get them connected their mode for the holidays.”

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A doc with the Duval County Health Department says radical should beryllium cautious portion traveling.

“You cognize this is what is unsocial astir Omicron… the information that it’s much contagious, it’s much transmissible,” Dr. Chirag Patel, Assistant Chief Medical Officer- UF Health Jacksonville said. “It’s replicating faster erstwhile idiosyncratic catches it—meaning it’s easier to spread.”

So far, determination person not been immoderate confirmed cases of Omicron successful Duval County, but wellness officials accidental that doesn’t mean it’s not already here.

Health officials promote radical to support themselves portion heading to beryllium with friends and household for the holidays.

AAA is forecasting much than 109 cardinal radical crossed the country—will question during the holidays. That’s compared to 81 cardinal past twelvemonth -- adjacent to a 34% jump.

The Duval County Health Department connected Thursday issued a warning, saying it expects different surge of COVID cases successful the coming months.

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“This is what is unsocial astir omicron -- the information that it’s much contagious, it’s much transmissible,” said Dr. Chirag Patel, adjunct main aesculapian serviceman astatine UF Health Jacksonville.

If you request to get tested, News4JAX has compiled a database of COVID-19 investigating sites successful Northeast Florida. To find further testing, arsenic good arsenic vaccination, locations, visit FloridaHealthCOVID19.gov/.

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