NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — As many as 48 flights were cancelled at Nashville International Airport beginning Monday morning, following major travel restrictions across the Northeast.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made the announcement Sunday and requested residents for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to cut down on non-essential travel. States where the combined number of COVID-19 cases tops 66,000.
The Domestic Travel Advisory will last 14 days and limits travel to employees of critical infrastructure industries, including public health professionals, financial services and food supply.
Officials at BNA say they’ve were already concerned over the dramatic decline in passengers and now have no choice but to revisit their budget to see if any more changes have to be made.
At this point, they’ve closed one security checkpoint, three parking lots and a few retailers have no intentions on opening any time soon.
Walk into BNA now and beyond the masks and bags, you may just see fingers crossed.
We caught up with Michelle after her first flight was cancelled earlier in the morning. She told us she was on her way to Virginia where her granddaughter waits, having been taken out of daycare out of precaution.
Michelle’s son and daughter-in-law both serve in the military, so Michelle says they’re already struggling to balance their time.
“We were hoping to find a different way to get me out there, but unfortunately they can’t leave base to pick me up and air travel is my only option,” said Michelle.
We met with others like Corey who said he was traveling to Florida on business, knowing very well the risk he runs flying to a state ranked 6th in the country for COVID-19 cases with 5,483.
“I would drive if I could right now, but I have to be in Florida so I’m taking the risk. I was nervous, but we’ll see what happens,” said Corey.
The stark reality is the ripple effect of cancellations may become the norm and plans, no matter how important, hang in the balance.
BNA officials are urging passengers to be even more aware of cancellations as flights continue to be cancelled with little advanced warning.
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- Donate to the COVID-19 Middle Tennessee Emergency Response Fund
See all our coronavirus coverage here
COUNTY-BY-COUNTY CASES IN TENNESSEE
What is COVID-19 (a.k.a. the new coronavirus?)
According to the World Health Organization, coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. Examples include the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV)and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. COVID-19 stands for "Coronavirus disease 2019," which is when this strain of the coronavirus was discovered.
What are the symptoms?
The CDC says patients confirmed to have the 2019-nCoV reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with:
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Or at least two of the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Chills
- Repeated shaking with chills
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Sore throat
- New loss of taste or smell
At this time, the CDC believes symptoms could appear as soon as two days after exposure, or as long as 14 days.
Prevention
The CDC is recommending "common sense" measures such as:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
