LOUISVILLE, Ky.  (WDRB) — The spring break season typically means an uptick in flyers at Louisville's Muhammad Ali International Airport and airports around the country. 

Concerns over the global novel coronavirus pandemic, however, have caused a lot of people to cancel or alter plans for spring break and other upcoming vacations.

Cecilia Christensen and Jennifer Cecil booked a trip to the southern Caribbean — Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao — in February. 

"We love the beach," Christensen said, "and my niece has been to Bonaire and Aruba and really raved about it."

The cruise is set to depart in May, but concerns over COVID-19 have prompted a change of plans.

"Not that we are worried about the virus ourselves so much," Christensen said, "but she is immunocompromised, so we can't take a chance on her getting exposed."

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced he is sharply restricting passenger travel from 26 European nations to the U.S. With spring break almost here, people across Kentuckiana are reconsidering plans to fly to nonrestricted areas.

"It's never been quite this dramatic and this widespread," said Linda Caso, a travel agent in Louisville who has noticed a "definite decrease in people" seeking out her services. 

If you're not a high-risk patient, Caso said the decision to cancel travel plans due to COVID-19 is really a personal decision that a lot of families are contemplating. 

The cancellations are becoming so frequent that Caso said some airlines are now waving cancellation fees and offering perks to eliminate some of the concern.

"We've seen already the beginnings of discounts on airlines with tickets, particularly traveling in the next couple of weeks," she said. 

Meanwhile, Christensen and Cecil said they are disappointed but plan to delay their trip a few months and weather the COVID-19 storm. 

"We're going to do it in August so it'll be just like three months from now," Christensen said. 

Something to consider: If you take prescription medication and plan to travel by air in the near future, health officials said to take a few extra pills with you — just in case your return home is delayed.

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