Visitors flock to Indianapolis for holiday weekend despite COVID-19 anxieties
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A visit to Monument Circle for Labor Day weekend was a plan shared by many travelers across the country.
Melissa Amilani and Danielle Miess said their decision to drive to Indiana from Philadelphia was a no-brainer.
“That’s why we make good travel companions — because we have the same level of anxiety about COVID and other things,” said Amilani.
“The Midwest is not as strict about wearing masks, and I’m also not super comfortable in big crowds because of COVID,” said Miess.
John Cockerill and his wife felt the same way. The couple drove from Lincoln, Nebraska, to visit their daughter.
After spending 10 days in the hospital with COVID-19 himself, Cockerill said he isn’t taking any of his days for granted, but he is being more cautious than in the past. He said hopes others do the same.
“I’m 73 years old, so I’ve enjoyed my life … My view is people need to get their shot and look out for other people by doing that,” said Cockerill.
Amilani and Miess said their way of looking out for others was by putting a lot of thought into every part of their trip.
“We did see some museums, but at the same time, we’ve been preferring whenever possible to do outdoors. Like, today we walked three miles,” said Miess.
“We want to be respectful. We want to bring our tourism dollars and see cool things, but still stay safe. So I think we’re being really good about toeing that line effectively,” said Amilani.
The CDC’s latest data shows all 92 Indiana counties in the red category, which means all are experiencing high transmission rates for COVID-19. Many other states around the country look the same.