[Global Issue+] What Is Thanksgiving... Americans Ignoring Quarantine Authorities' Travel Advisory

US Cumulative Cases Exceed 13 Million... Thanksgiving Holiday Concerns
6.5 Million Air Travelers, 50 Million by Car in Massive National Migration
Concerns of Large-Scale Severe Cases Starting in 3 Weeks... Overlapping with Christmas

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] In the United States, which is observing the Thanksgiving holiday, the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is spreading even more fiercely. Despite recommendations from health authorities, tens of millions of people are traveling home, which is analyzed to be worsening the spread of COVID-19. It is known that the uniquely American characteristic of treating Thanksgiving as a very important holiday in the West is deepening the COVID-19 crisis. Moreover, citizens' fatigue from prolonged quarantine measures and the easing of vigilance due to news of vaccine announcements are also pointed out as causes.

According to foreign media such as CNN, on the 27th (local time), statistics from Johns Hopkins University showed that the daily confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. reached 205,557, setting a new record high once again. In the U.S., more than 4 million confirmed cases have occurred this month alone, pushing the cumulative confirmed cases beyond 13 million. In particular, the Thanksgiving holiday is known to have had a significant impact on this surge. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) previously recommended avoiding travel, and President-elect Joe Biden emphasized that "we are in a situation where we must give up Thanksgiving traditions," requesting people to refrain from traveling home, but many Americans are reported to have traveled to their hometowns.

It is known that more than 6.5 million Americans traveled by air and over 50 million by car to return home. Despite health authorities' discouragement, the American culture of properly observing Thanksgiving is believed to have played a major role. Thanksgiving is a tradition that remains in Protestant countries such as the United Kingdom and Germany, but there is no country that celebrates it as grandly as the U.S. In the U.S., it has established itself as the biggest holiday famous for roasted turkey and spectacular parades.

In the U.S., Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November has been recognized as the most important national event and holiday since 1789, when the first president, George Washington, designated it as a national holiday. It is known that American Thanksgiving has been commemorated since 1621, the year after the English Puritans aboard the Mayflower set out for the American continent in 1620. At that time, a severe famine occurred, and more than half of the Mayflower passengers died, with the survivors facing the fate of death if the harvest failed that year, but fortunately, the harvest was successful. It is also known that earlier English settlements in the American continent were wiped out by famine, causing the entire immigrant population to perish.

Because of this, Americans regard Thanksgiving as a very important holiday and consider it the day their history could begin. The reason why roasted turkey, which is difficult to cook and considered less tasty than chicken or duck, is indispensable is to remind them of those hardships. This day is not only to give thanks for the harvest but also to be grateful that family and relatives have gathered and are surviving in good health.

However, ironically, gathering with family and relatives has become a risky situation due to COVID-19, but control by health authorities is hardly effective. U.S. pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Moderna announced vaccines with over 90% efficacy, and with expectations that vaccinations will begin next month, interest in quarantine has significantly decreased, which is cited as a main factor. However, if the current spread continues, a sharp increase in severe cases and deaths is feared starting three weeks from now, and since the Christmas holiday will begin then, there are growing concerns about a vicious cycle.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.