TAMPA, Fla. — For many holiday travelers, it's not the most enjoyable time of the year.
At least 19 flights have been canceled to and from Tampa International Airport as of Monday afternoon, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware. At least 98 more are delayed.
The bulk of the day's canceled flights, five as of this writing, are handled by Spirit Airlines, with JetBlue Airways, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines also reporting issues.
It's a trend extending into the post-Christmas work week as airlines have canceled hundreds of flights while citing staffing problems because of COVID-19. American Airlines spokesperson Derek Walls told The Associated Press that recent Christmas cancellations stemmed from virus-related sick calls.
There are signs of improvement, however. While around 1,000 flights were canceled Saturday nationwide, just more than 700 have been called off Monday.
Health officials warn the days and weeks ahead following holiday gatherings likely will bring about an even larger spike of COVID-19 cases driven by the more infectious omicron variant. So far, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows virus-related hospitalizations have remained relatively stable, but it might not last.
That's why COVID vaccinations, boosters and other mitigation measures like masking up in public spaces and social distancing remain the most important ways to fight the virus, doctors say.
"I look at it as a responsibility to my family," Dr. John Sinnott, the University of South Florida Health chairman of internal medicine and Tampa General Hospital epidemiologist, said in an earlier interview. "It's going to go on a while longer. There is no magic bullet."