Keep a mask at the ready if you are traveling. You should also be prepared to prove your vaccine status, and it better be the real deal, as authorities are cracking down on forgeries.
Those looking to travel over Labor Day weekend should only do so if they are vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 have reached a daily average of 100,000 for the first time since January, when cases peaked at 125,000.
Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, the director of the CDC, said getting vaccinated against COVID-19 and wearing a mask are integral to preventing the spread of the virus. And for those who are not vaccinated, travel this long weekend should be avoided, she said.
“First and foremost, if you are unvaccinated, we would recommend not traveling,” Walensky said Tuesday.
Even those who are vaccinated should take precautions this weekend, she said.
“If gathering with family and friends, spending time outdoors with others will help avoid transmission,” she said.
Keep a mask at the ready if you are traveling, as many restaurants and businesses are again requiring them. And if you are taking any public transport, including buses, trains, or planes, you must always be masked.
You should also be prepared to prove your vaccine status, and it better be the real deal, as authorities are cracking down on forgeries.
Jasmine Clifford, 31, of Lyndhurst, New Jersey, was arrested for selling fake vaccine cards online.
Clifford calls herself “AntiVaxMomma” on social media, where she was allegedly offering fake vaccine cards for $200, authorities said. For an extra $250, Clifford arranged for buyers’ details to be entered into the official New York State vaccination database, making the card appear totally legitimate.
Investigators estimate Clifford sold 250 cards. She has been charged with offering a false instrument, criminal possession of a forged instrument and conspiracy.
Police also arrested Nadayza Barkley, 27, of Bellport, New York, a doctor’s office assistant who allegedly entered at least 10 buyers’ information into the state’s NYSIIS database, which powers the state’s Excelsior Pass, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said.
Barkley was charged with offering a false instrument and conspiracy.
Her attorney told Inside Edition she has no personal relationship at all with Clifford and that they met over social media.
Clifford’s alleged scheme was uncovered by a citizen sleuth.
“This is potentially extremely dangerous, and I couldn’t sit by and watch that happen,” the man, who asked that his name not be used, told Inside Edition.
