(Article by Nicholas Fondacaro republished from NewsBusters.org)
The sour mood coming from host Willie Geist was palpable as he led into the segment. “Despite a warning from the CDC this week, that Americans should stay home for the holidays, millions of people are hitting the roads and boarding planes this weekend to gather for Thanksgiving,” he huffed.
After being relieved that AAA had downgraded their prediction for the number of people who would travel, correspondent Blayne Alexander whined: “But that is still not going to stop millions of people from traveling and gathering with extended family, and all of its leaving health officials worried about another spike in cases.”
“This morning, despite the warnings, the Thanksgiving holiday is giving way to the inevitable holiday travel. With the CDC sounding the alarm this week, urging all Americans to stay at home, crowded airports show that many are not listening,” she continued to complain. Alexander spoke with two women; one who said she was determined to travel and the other said no one was social distancing.
That second woman was saying that while Alexander was hold up a microphone. They were not social distancing.
In touting how Duke University was testing students before they went home (and not return until January), Alexander noted that people were rushing to get tested. Though, she admitted that Washington State health officials had stopped reporting NEGATIVE tests:
In Los Angeles, cars wrapped around Dodger Stadium. In Washington State, the demand for testing has skyrocketed as many as 50,000 test records per day forcing the state’s health department to temporarily stop reporting negative tests to clear the backlog. But doctors warn testing is not foolproof. The best way to stay healthy, stay at home.
Up next were comments from Biden advisor Dr. Vin Gupta. “It's not safe to travel right now. It will be in a few months. But right now, it's too dangerous,” he proclaimed. Again, the network failed to disclose his connection to the president-elect.
While Alexander was wrapping up the segment, she unveiled the ridiculous advice “officials” issued to stay safe during the holiday, which included just not seeing the people you were there to visit and spend the holiday with:
Now Willie, officials say that if you are choosing to gather with extended family this season, that's essentially anybody who hasn't shared your household for the last two weeks, that what you should do is stay in a separate area, ideally with your own separate bathroom and wear masks then you’re inside.
Officials also say what you should do is, isolate on both sides of your trip, test as close to departure as possible, and then isolate once you get there for 72 hours or so and test again. But remember, none of this is guaranteed.
“Let's hope people listen to some of those warnings,” Geist chided.
NBC’s contempt for you and your loved ones was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Citi and Ancestry. Their contact information is linked so you can tell them about the biased news they’re funding.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
NBC Sunday TodayNovember 22, 2020
8:05:47 a.m. Eastern
WILLIE GEIST: Despite a warning from the CDC this week, that Americans should stay home for the holidays, millions of people are hitting the roads and boarding planes this weekend to gather for Thanksgiving. NBC’s Blayne Alexander is at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the busiest in the world. Blayne, good morning.
BLAYNE ALEXANDER: Well Willie, good morning to you. Initially, AAA had predicted that some 50 million Americans would travel this holiday season. The group now says that number is going to be lower after that guidance from the CDC has caused a lot of people to make some last-minute cancellations.
But that is still not going to stop millions of people from traveling and gathering with extended family and all of it’s leaving health officials worried about another spike in cases.
[Cuts to video]
This morning, despite the warnings, the Thanksgiving holiday is giving way to the inevitable holiday travel. With the CDC sounding the alarm this week, urging all Americans to stay at home, crowded airports show that many are not listening.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN 1: Nothing is stopping me. Nothing.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN 2: No one is six feet apart. Like, everyone is kind of three feet apart or two feet apart. It's horrible.
ALEXANDER: Friday, the TSA processed more than a million passengers. Only the second time hitting that threshold since the pandemic started in March. Still, AAA says across the board, travel is down this year.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN 3: When we look at air travel, that's down nearly 50 percent. [Transition] So, people do decide to travel, the vast majority of them will go by car.
ALEXANDER: Julia Gardner is one of them.
JULIA GARDNER: It's definitely comforting that my test from this past week was negative.
ALEXANDER: Like thousands of other college students, the Duke University sophomore is headed home until January. Choosing an eight-hour car ride with friends over a potentially packed airport.
Do you feel safe going home?
GARDNER: The university is very proactive, testing approach and also due to the students, I think that students there took COVID very seriously.
ALEXANDER: Her school offers exit testing for students before they head home. And across the country, thousands of Americans are flocking to do the same. In Los Angeles, cars wrapped around Dodger Stadium. In Washington State, the demand for testing has skyrocketed as many as 50,000 test records per day forcing the state’s health department to temporarily stop reporting negative tests to clear the backlog. But doctors warn testing is not foolproof. The best way to stay healthy, stay at home.
DR. VIN GUPTA: It's not safe to travel right now. It will be in a few months. But right now, it's too dangerous.
[Cuts back to live]
ALEXANDER: Now Willie, officials say that if you are choosing to gather with extended family this season, that's essentially anybody who hasn't shared your household for the last two weeks, that what you should do is stay in a separate area, ideally with your own separate bathroom and wear masks then you’re inside.
Officials also say what you should do is, isolate on both sides of your trip, test as close to departure as possible, and then isolate once you get there for 72 hours or so and test again. But remember, none of this is guaranteed.
Willie, again, officials say the safest course of action is to stay at home. Back to you.
GEIST: Let's hope people listen to some of those warnings. Blayne Alexander in Atlanta. Blayne, thanks so much.
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