Many people have prepared for Easter get-togethers while several parts of the country, including Long Island, are seeing increases in COVID-19 cases.

According to state data, Long Island's seven-day positivity rate is inching higher, up to 4.52% on Thursday, even as the vaccination rate has increased.

The spike in cases and hospitalizations prompted Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky to urge Americans not to travel right now. Even so, News 12 saw several people checking in for flights at MacArthur Airport.

Dr. Theresa Fiorito, of NYU Langone Health, says Long Islanders should not let their guards down over the holiday weekend because not enough people have been vaccinated to reach herd immunity.

"Hopefully as more people get vaccinated, we should start to see what they've seen in Israel where there really is protection. But in the meantime, people should still follow precautions," Dr. Fiorito says.

The CDC says fully vaccinated people can visit with other fully vaccinated people without wearing masks or physically distancing. It also says vaccinated people can gather with unvaccinated people from one other household unless they live with someone at high risk for severe COVID-19.

As for everyone leaving Long Island for the weekend, they will not be forced to quarantine when they get back. Mandatory quarantine rules for out-of-state travelers ended Thursday. People arriving from international destinations will still have to quarantine.

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