Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, gave travelers everywhere a glimmer of hope on Thursday, telling CBS This Morning that summer travel "can be in the cards" despite the current circumstances stemming from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
"When we pull back and try to open up the country...we have to be prepared that when the infections start to rear their heads again, the country has a way to aggressively and effectively identify, isolate, contract trace and make sure we don't have those spikes we have now," Fauci told CBS.
"Hopefully, by the time we get to the summer, we will have taken many steps in that direction," he added.
The last few weeks have been incredibly challenging for the travel industry and travelers in general amid what's become an unprecedented health crisis that's prompted numerous stay-at-home orders and other restrictions but Fauci noted that Americans' social distancing efforts are having a positive impact, confirming that the number of hospitalizations is declining.
In what's another good sign, a recent survey conducted by advertising company BVK reveals that Americans are ready to travel again, with eight in 10 U.S. travelers currently planning, thinking or dreaming about travel.
It's been nearly one month since President Trump issued a 30-day ban on travel from Europe, cruise lines suspended operations and other travel suppliers temporarily shuttered business in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 but, for now, it remains unclear when normal life will resume.
Fauci told CBS that the return to normalcy will be moderate and could vary by region as the virus dictates the timeline.
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