As people prepare to visit family and friends during the holiday season, some might be wondering whether it is safe to travel during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Experts and public health officials say it is currently safe for many people to travel. But they continue to urge everyone to carefully follow proven safety measures to limit virus spread. In its latest safety guidelines, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urges people who are not fully vaccinated to delay travel during the holiday season. Unvaccinated people who do not travel should wear well-fitting face masks while attending holiday events taking place in indoor settings, the CDC says. It also says that even fully vaccinated individuals should wear face coverings in indoor settings in communities known to have high infection rates. Unvaccinated people who decide to travel should get a COVID-19 test one to three days before travel and three to five days after returning. The coronavirus coordinator for the White House, Jeff Zients, says about 59 percent of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Children ages 5 to 11 were approved for the vaccine earlier this month. As of last week, 2.6 million children had gotten their first of two shots, Zients said. That is about 10 percent of children eligible to get vaccinated. Dr. Keith Armitage is an infectious disease expert at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio. He told The Associated Press that all travelers should avoid indoor events with unmasked crowds. “The Delta variant has really brought us back to an earlier time in the pandemic,” Armitage said. There is no requirement for COVID-19 vaccination or testing for Americans flying within the country. But the CDC says all travelers must still wear masks on trains, planes and in other indoor public transportation areas.